Nights for Azalea
by lucy.ditty
Summary: "Nostalgia is a ghost that rhymes with the past." AU: People are stubborn and relationships are fickle, changing purely based on time and circumstance. But somehow they were always drawn to each other, even when they knew full well they shouldn't be.
1. 0-1: Prelude

_**WARNING:** Deals with less than comfortable topics.  
__**DISCLAIMER:** Only the story belongs solely to me. Everything else belongs to their respectful owners._

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**0.1: Prelude**

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_"I like_  
_to think that on_  
_the flower you gave me when we_  
_loved..."_

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We first met when we were four during the Azalea festival. It was mid-April and you were wearing a new _yukata_ while I wore a hand-me-down blue shirt. Our mothers weren't very close but knew each other on sight. Stopping, I was forced to say hello and you the same.

You held a half-eaten rice ball in one hand and we just stared at each other as our mothers made obligatory conversation. You seemed like the soft spoken type, but your small smile told me you weren't really shy. But once you were jostled from behind by a passing couple, you lost hold of the rice ball and let it fall to the ground. Tears stared to well in your eyes as a silent cry seemed to form at the back of your throat. In an impulse, I handed you an azalea that I had hidden in my back pocket. While it didn't stop your tears from falling, you somehow found a way to swallow your sob and thank me in a small, mousy voice.

I only had enough time to give a timid nod before we were both pulled away by our mothers. Turning my head, I could see as you held tightly onto the azalea. All I could think was that you better not drop that too.

We met again a few years later when you were seven and I had just turned eight. It seemed like we were both on school trips to Tokyo Tower. Your class had stopped to eat lunch in the same place that my class did. I didn't recognize you at first, you seemed to have changed in those years: taller and rounder. Your thick little fingers could barely work the chopsticks of your little bento. I ended up sitting across the lawn from you, though I hadn't figured it out yet.

I looked up once, and in a row of girls, you weren't the only one I caught staring at me. But you were directly across and did not avert your gaze when I glared right back at you. There was a softness in your eyes, one that seemed oddly unnerving. It was a contradiction, a soft and strong gaze. But to my relief, you were forced to look away as your teacher called for your class to pack up.

But we were only to see each other again up in the observatory. There were flurries of small elementary school kids crowding the windows, faces pressed firmly against the glass. I had to fight my way to even get a glimpse over the heads of so many other children pushed face first onto the elevated Tokyo skyline. Feeling like the effort to get to the front wasn't worth it, I decided to make my way to the back and just wait for the teacher to gather everyone. Taking a breath of air, I slipped through the last kid and was surprised to find you standing there just against the wall. You seemed rather surprised to see me as well. But neither you nor I decided to turn away first, so we just stayed staring at each others. Eyes meeting, breaths touching, feet unmoving.

"Why do you always stare at me?" I asked.

As if finally realizing that you had indeed been staring at me, you turned your gaze to the floor, your cheeks suddenly getting bright red. With such round cheeks, it wasn't hard to make the analogy that you looked exactly like a tomato.

"S-sorry…" you whispered, bringing your fingers together in an annoying fidget.

After getting a bit bored just watching you toy with your fingers, I took a spot next to you. I sat beside you and without a hint of hesitance, you took a peek up at me before covering your mouth. Back shaking, your round cheeks pushed your eyes into a crescent like shape.

"Are you laughing at me?" I asked, a bit offended.

You waved your free hand.

"No, n-no…" you stuttered between chuckles. "N-no, I just…"

You continued to laugh.

"Just what?"

There was a gulp, as if thinking that swallowing the built up saliva would also take down your laughter. You removed your hands and slid down next to me. We sat next to each other in silence; a stark contrast to the yelling and screaming of our classmates who were flocking themselves around the window. They looked like animals. Although I hardly doubt you would have called their behavior that, you rarely ever thought of others as anything less than or more than what they actually were. But I thought it for the both of us.

"Could you really see all of Tokyo from there?"

After so much silence I was startled by how close your voice was. You were back to staring at me.

"Could you?" You asked again expectantly. "From the window, could you really see everything?"

Your question was strange to me.

"I guess." I shrugged, my head tilted. "Didn't you see it?"

You shook your head.

"Oh, no, not yet," you said. "Oh, but i-it's okay! I can just a-ask my mama to bring me some other t-time."

Even though you smiled at me, I could tell how much you really wanted to be one of the kids who had their noses pressed up against the glass. For whatever reason, you wanted to be one of the kids that had the first class view of all of Tokyo. But you were too polite to push your way through the cluster. It was a pitiful smile. Your eyes weren't in that strange crescent shape. They were welling up with tears instead.

"C'mon…"

I grabbed onto your thick wrist and pulled you up. Despite some inaudible protest, I dragged you to the edge of the flock of kids and started to push my way through. You apologized to every kid every step of the way. Most were about both of our heights, and getting by them was not easy. It took a lot of effort on my part as you were like a brick moving through mud. I wasn't too sure if it was because you most likely weighed a few kilos more than me or you really felt intrusive to others. Either way, I managed to get to the front. Pushing you in front of me, I almost knocked you into another kid just a millimeter away. We both grumbled an "I'm sorry".

Slowly, you raised your right hand up to touch the glass. Then you raised your left. Making sure that it would not give from under your fingertips, you leaned in. And in your reflection, I could see your wide doe eyes disappear into a crescent. You turned your head to face me, a smile so wide and unassuming. How could you have gotten so much joy from just staring out a giant window?

"Sasuke-kun, it's so cool!"

You managed to say those words without a hiccup. Your pure awestruck expression stayed as you turned back to look across the landscape. Peeking over your shoulder, looking over the ocean of streets, cars, buildings, and ant like people flurrying around like a colony of fish, for a moment I really did believe it was cool.

Before you left with your school, and I mine, the crowd slowly dwindled. I grabbed onto your wrist.

"A-ah…" You hesitated. "Y-yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"How do you know my name?" I asked you, not in a threatening or accusatory way, just pure curiosity.

"Huh?" you looked at me quizzically, then took a shifting step back. "I-I recognized y-you from a f-few times that m-my m-mama talks to y-yours at the Azalea Festival e-every year."

I couldn't remember clearly.

"A-and…" you paused to point at the back of my jacket.

I looked back to find that my name was written in bold. My eyes widened and I looked away, trying my hardest to conceal my embarrassment. How uncool. Rubbing my sleeve against my nose, I tried to put on a calm expression, only failing to make it look more like a disappointed frown. You, on the other hand, had a hand up to your lips. Your eyes like crescents once again but I couldn't see your smile.

Unconsciously, I forced your hand down. You looked at me in surprise. I just stared, realizing my actions a second too late. Coughing and releasing your wrist, I went back to rubbing my nose with a sleeve.

"You shouldn't hide your smile," I mumbled into my sleeve.

"W-what did y-you-," you began.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" One of my teachers screamed for me. "Uchiha, the group is leaving."

"Y-you better go," you said. "I-I think I have to, t-too."

"Right." I sniffed and turned on my heels to leave. I heard you say goodbye to me. Then I stopped for a second.

I turned back for a moment, you were already turned to leave.

"Oi!" I called.

You looked back.

"See you around, Tomato-chan."

Your face lit up.

"T-tomato-chan…?" you stuttered, flustered. "M-my n-name isn't-…"

"Hinata-chan!" your teacher called for you.

"C-coming sensei!"

I smirked a little, walking away feeling a little more satisfied with myself. I left thinking, your name really suits you.

We met more times in the next few years. They were always brief moments. The times that we saw each other never lasted more than a few minutes; Most just glimpses for a couple of seconds. I would sometimes see you picking out fruits with your mother at the market. If our schools happened to be passing by each other during a common class trip, we would be sure to at least say hello to each other. I never actively sought after you, nor did you to me. We would exchange pleasantries and if time allowed, we'd talk a little.

We never talked about anything too personal. In our small chats, I learned you had an older brother and younger sister. You liked and knew a lot about flowers. You liked light, pastel colors. You had an allergy to cats but loved them dearly. In fact, you seemed to love anything that lived, including spiders.

You learned that I had an older brother. I really liked rice balls. I hated to study. And somehow, you happened to come across me just as I was startled by a garden snake, which you then learned that I have a severe fear of anything that slithers and goes hiss.

We were able to keep a safe distance from each other, just being friendly acquaintances. You didn't invade my personal life and I didn't invade yours (which we were both perfectly fine with). We knew that our fathers worked under the same firm, but it was a large company and we both could agree that going to department parties were less than anything kids would call "fun". You went out of a sense of daughter's obligation and I just stayed home with my brother while my parents mingled the night away. And the next time we'd take a glance at each other, you never seemed curious as to why I wasn't there. We never assumed or expected anything from each other.

It was very comfortable that way. It was very safe.

But when the walls of one of the local cathedrals were lined with white chrysanthemums, the look in everyone's eyes seemed pitiful and filled with sorrow. Regardless of their personal feelings towards my father, they all seemed to give my mother the same practiced sentence, "I am extremely sorry for your loss."

When my father dropped dead in the middle of the night, no one in my family was sure if it was the heart attack or the fall down the stairs. But even if my parents had been fighting much more frequently than normal, the worry and tears that were streaming down my mother's cheeks seemed to be filled with genuine fear and grief. Even when I looked at her profile from under the black veil, she had her eyes down cast as she half-heartedly thanked the people that approached her in the corner. I didn't know half the people around me, my father had little to no known relatives and my mother's aging parents lived all the way in Hokkaido; flight or train would be bad for the their aging bones. That's what my mother said.

For most of the night, I was able hold myself together. But the more people came, the more I felt like the subject of other's pity. My brother and I had stayed dutifully by my mother's side, our father's ashes and photo on the table beside us. I was about ready to collapse from pure exhaustion when suddenly you appeared in front of me. You, along with your father, stood in front of my family; giving deep bows as your father gave his condolences. Then a bow to my father's photo. When you came up to a straight position, your head was still tilted down, your eyes did not dare meet mine. Shocked, I took a step back. In all of our meetings, I couldn't remember a single time that you had been conscious of your gaze. It was one of your many strange habits, to look too intently at someone. Perhaps you had learned not to stare at others so intently, but I assumed I was not like the others. As you walked away with your father to join the crowd of other nameless faces, I continued to follow you. Staying diligently by your father's side, you seemed to struggle to not be jostled by even this somber crowd.

I felt a small push from behind. Looking back a bit annoyed, my brother gave me a knowing look and waved me off. Even he seemed to sense how the atmosphere was affecting me. With slow steps, I approached you. Your father was speaking in a soft voice to another man, and your head looked to the floor. With a little hesitance, I lightly tapped your wrist. You looked a bit startled and whipped your head in my direction. I threw my head back a bit, signaling you to follow.

You turned back to your father with a bit of worry, but he didn't take much notice. I motioned again. This time, you started to follow.

Out in the night, the chill of Bunkyo pricked at the back of my neck. I stretched out my arms and gave a forced yawn, trying to gather as much oxygen as I could to wake myself up. Letting out a breath and watching the clouds lift into the starless sky, I started to make my way down the hill.

It took me several steps to realize that you weren't following along anymore. Turning back, you were still standing in front of the cathedral gates. You stood and just looked at me from the top of the steps. In the dimness of the night, despite the street lamps, I couldn't see the look on your face.

"Are you not coming?" I asked. "Because I'm going to take a walk whether you come or not. But I'd rather not go out alone."

Without saying anything, you made your way down the steps. Once you found your way beside me, I started walking down the hill again. We walked in synchronicity. Each step we took was just in the right time with each other. We said nothing. At least, not till we got to the bottom of the hill.

Once we reached the bottom, you immediately seemed to feel the need to open your mouth.

"I'm terribly sorry for yo-,"

"If you're going to say anything, can you please not say that?" I cut you off. "I'm tired of hearing those words."

You fell silent and I immediately felt guilty. You probably felt genuinely sorry for me. I'm sure there were a handful of people in that room who did, too. But my frustration and anger were president to any sorrow I felt. It didn't feel real yet that my father was really gone forever. It really hadn't set in yet. And all the people going around telling me they were sorry…

"I'm sorry…" I said softly, trying to gain back control of my feelings. "Let's…"

I hadn't realized that we'd stopped walking. I started again and heard as you quickly tried to catch up.

"Let's talk about something else." I said as confidently as I could. "How have you been? I didn't know you would come."

"A-ah…" you responded softly. "I didn't think I would either."

I didn't know why it hurt to hear that.

"M-my mom i-is pregnant again," you told me. Pausing, unsure if you should be saying such a thing to me at that time. "N-news like th-this isn't g-good for pregnant women. I-I thought I-I would j-just stay home with her."

"Mmn…"

"S-sorry, you p-probably don't w-want to hear this r-right now…"

"No, it's fine." I assured you. "So, your brother and sister are with her now?"

"Y-yes," you seemed to perk a bit. "Neji-nii-san and Hanabi-chan t-told me that I-I should probably ac-company father. O-our fathers… Th-they've known each other a l-long time a-and th-this must b-be h-hard for you, t-too."

"No, I'm fine." I fibbed.

"A-ah." You didn't sound the least bit convinced.

"So your mom is expecting?" I asked after a moment of silence. "Does it seem strange that you'll be thirteen years older than the baby?"

"T-twelve."

"Huh?" I looked back at you. This time, though, I really looked at you for the first time that night. Had I ever seen you in so much black? Black hair, headband, necklace, dress, jacket, shoes… it made your skin so sickly pale. I also noticed just how thin you'd gotten. Your face still had a childish roundness to it, but you no longer looked like you were just a solid block of round. Things I would have never noticed because of your usual baggy jacket I now saw. Like little curves that I knew some girls in my class were beginning to develop. You had them, too.

"T-twelve," you repeated. "M-my mother is e-expecting this f-fall. M-my b-birthday i-is in December. I-I'll s-still be twelve."

Nodding my head slowly, I grunted in response.

"Either way," I shrugged and continued my earlier point, "Don't you think it'll be a little weird? When you're twenty-two and graduating from university, the baby will only be the age we are now?"

"N-not r-really. They're m-my b-baby sibling either way." You responded.

"I guess that's just the youngest kid in me talking," I said under my breath.

I heard you laugh beside me. I turned and found your crescent eyes looking into something ahead, one hand over your mouth. "It's alright. We all have our own opinions."

Then we fell into silence once again. We continued to walk and said nothing. Listening only to the silence of a sleeping Tokyo. And in our silence, I almost forgot about the saddening reality that was only a ten minute walk away. But I tried to push that out of my mind and just focused on the sounds of our footsteps against the pavement. Step by step, I only focused on the pat pat. But slowly you began to fall behind. At first it was only one step, then two. Soon, you'd stopped moving all together.

I stopped to face you. You were hunched under the beam of a street lamp, arms wrapped around themselves. Eyes widening, I realized that you must have been freezing this whole time. The cardigan you wore was probably not enough for the late summer night.

"Should we go back?" I asked you. I wasn't particularly asking for an opinion. It was just out of courtesy.

"N-no," you said. I could finally pick out the chilled tremble in your voice, different from your usual stutter. "W-we c-can k-keep w-walking if y-you w-w-want…"

You attempted to take a step toward me, but instead only stumbled. Losing balance, you were about to fall forward onto the pavement. Quickly I went to catch you just before you did.

"S-sorry!" you half shouted.

"No need to apologize, geez. Can you stand?"

You nodded and made an attempt to stand. Which failed as your knees buckled and you let out a hiss. I caught you with both hands by your waist. It was an awkward position that couldn't have been comfortable for you or me. Readjusting my hold I managed to get one hand under your arm while the other slipped a little lower on your back. It was awkward but you stopped wobbling. Making sure that you were stable, I looked up to see that you were staring right at me again. Doe eyes open. The feeling of your breath tickled the tip of my chin, the clouds of our breaths mingling. Our noses didn't touch, but they very well could have. That was the closest I had ever gotten to you. That was the closest I had gotten to anyone. To be so close that I could feel both of our heartbeats pound against each other. You're face began to glow red. We looked away, mumbling apologies to each other.

Looking down at your feet, one shoe had come off during your tumble. I sighed and bent down to pick it up, careful not to completely abandon you as a support.

"N-no, no… It's alright I-I…" you frantically began to say.

On a closer look, I could see cuts and blisters all around your toes and heel.

"A-ah, these are o-old sh-shoes. I-I… I guess th-they're a l-little t-too small for me."

I sighed again.

"You should wear shoes that fit." I reprimanded. Rubbing a hand to my face, I squatted down in front of you. "C'mon, we should get you back."

"Wh-what?" You stuttered.

"The cathedral should have some bandages for your feet."

"N-no…" you said. "Why a-are you kneeling?"

I looked back at you. Seeing the puzzlement in your eyes, your face was still glowing a small pinkish hue. I smirked and rolled my eyes.

"My mom and brother would kill me if they found out I let you walk back like you are now." I explained. "Especially up that hill."

Your face only grew redder.

"N-no," you stammered, "there r-really i-is no n-need. I-I can w-walk b-back j-just fine."

"Just get on."

"R-really, I'm o-okay…"

"C'mon."

"I'm f-fine."

"Get on."

"R-really-,"

"You're really testing my patience Tomato-chan." I said sternly. "Now get on or I'll just push you into the road so that you'll have no choice but to beg for me to carry you back."

Silently, you obeyed and climbed onto my back. Lifting you up, I didn't realize how light you seemed. You weren't weightless, but you definitely weighed less than I was bracing myself for. Perhaps it was because I was so used to seeing how much rounder you were in the past. You didn't completely put yourself on me, even when we were in that position.

"You know it only makes it harder for me to carry you if you're leaning back like that." I told you, annoyance very evident in my voice.

"S-sorry," you said and reluctantly leaned completely down my back. "Th-this i-is e-embarrassing…"

"It's only as embarrassing as you make it, Tomato-chan." I teased.

"W-why do you a-always c-call me th-that?"

"Call you what?" I asked.

I could feel the heat radiate off your face and onto the back of my neck. I smirked.

"T-tomato-chan? W-why do you a-always c-call me that?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know. Just because you're such a tomato, Tomato-chan."

Your face only grew hotter. We didn't say anything after that. You weren't one for comebacks. The rest of the way, I just carried you back. Silently, we worked our way up the hill. And back into the cathedral, I set you down before we got to the gates. I continued to help you inside, but stayed at a safe distance. There were still people around, but definitely much less than when we left. After asking a nun for some bandages, she led us to a separate room connected to the main one and told us to wait while she went to grab the bandages.

I stayed with you in the room. You sat in the only chair beside a door leading somewhere else, carelessly swinging your feet back and forth, humming a bit to yourself. While one hand gripped onto the chair, the other held onto an azalea that you must have plucked on our – or my – walk back. I laughed a bit. You had this strange positivity to you that, albeit was a little annoying at times, made you seem just so carefree. It was refreshing, your awkwardness in what should be not-so-awkward situations made the awkward silences just that much more comforting. It was a natural state when I was with you. I guess that was how our acquaintance had managed all those years, with just sheer serendipitous awkwardness.

"How do they feel?" I asked.

"N-not t-too bad." You smiled at me, eyes crescent. "If I'm not standing on them I feel just fine."

I nodded and you continued to smile. Swinging your feet back and forth you started to hum again. But it wasn't long before you stopped. Your expression twisted a little, you tilted your head to stare at the door beside you.

"What is it?"

You didn't answer, only continued to stare. Slowly, you turned yourself in the chair and leaned forward. Carefully, you cracked the door open just slightly. I came up behind you and peeked as well.

I saw my mother standing there. She had her veil off but wasn't looking in our direction. She stood, looking no longer sad, but frustrated. Before I could ask what was going on. Your father's frame came into view.

"Mikoto," your father said.

I was struck by how he was able to say my mother's name so freely without honorifics. I had never heard anyone but my father and grandparents do that.

"Hiashi, I don't want to discuss this." My mother said, exasperated. "Not today, please, not today."

"You haven't heard me say anything." Your father said coolly.

"Do I need to?"

"I'm just making an offer of help. I can help lessen the financial burden, for Sasuke and Itachi's schooling." He paused. "I don't expect anything in return."

"Oh, Hiashi." My mother sighed, frustrated. "I'm telling you I don't need any help. And isn't your wife pregnant with your fourth child?"

"This has nothing to do with my wife." Your father sounded stern. He almost sounded defensive.

"I'm just saying that you should focus on your own finances before offering help to others. Hinako isn't as young as she used to be and having a child at that age isn't cost efficient." My mother had this edge in her voice that I hadn't known she could muster. It was scarily foreign. "Trust me, I know."

"Whatever my wife needs I can provide it. I'm just worried about you." Every word that came from your father's mouth seemed to seep with annoyance.

"What is there to worry about? I can cope just fine. Itachi can help out with money, he's old enough to work. Plus, Itachi is almost at a university level, he can easily gain a merit scholarship."

"I'm just giving you an option, a safety net. Futaku would have-…"

"But this isn't about Futaku is it?" My mother cut in. "Hell, this isn't even about me. You aren't doing this out of good will, you're doing it for your own self-satisfaction!"

"Mikoto."

"To sedate your own guilt."

The tone my mother used was unknown to me. It wasn't gentle or understanding as it usually was. It sounded harsher, rougher.

"I'm doing it for the good of your sons."

"You say my sons, but you really only mean one don't you?" My mother nearly yelled.

"Lower your tone." Your father countered harshly.

There was a pause, I assumed my mother was trying to collect herself.

"Hiashi…" my mother said slowly. "Whatever sense of responsibility you feel, get over it. It's been nearly fourteen years. Neither of us were thinking right and you can't remember half of what went on."

"Mikoto…" your father tried to come in smoothly.

"I don't want to hear it Hiashi!"

I felt a tug on my sleeve. You were staring at me, wide eyed and fear evident.

"S-sasuki-kun…" you whispered. "What a-are they f-fighting about?"

"I don't know. I-,"

There was a bang as something went toppling down. Capturing both of our attention once again, it was a wonder no one had yet heard or suspected anything.

"That boy is just as much your son as he is mine!" Your father said in a raised voice. "Thank Kami that he inherited most of your genes and looks so much like you that no one would know that I'm the father. I may not have raised him, nor did I know of his conception until the day of his birth, but none the less my blood still runs through his veins. I have a strong sense of responsibility to fulfill to him and just quietly sitting back doesn't help it."

The more he talked, and the more they argued, the more confused I became. I could feel your grip on my shirt tighten till your hands shook. Unknowingly, I had my hand just over yours. For whatever reason, be it to comfort you or to comfort myself, I didn't know. But I held onto it tight. Looking at you, I could see the tears started to well. Had you ever seen your father so angry before? Had he ever been this terrifying to you before?

I continued to stare, and tried to give you some kind of comforting look. You were always ugly when you cried and this time was no different. But I couldn't figure out how. The shouting was too distracting. And as your years began to fall, all I could do was wipe each one away; missing a few in pursuit of others. I always hated seeing you cry, though I hadn't seen it in a long time. But this time, I seemed to hate it more than usual. I just wanted to go in there and tell them to stop fighting, to stop shouting. To stop because it was scaring you.

"You have no right!"

Stop it!

"Stop being so goddamn prideful!"

Stop it!

"This has nothing to do with my pride!"

Stop it!

"Then what?"

Stop it!

"Then what?"

Stop it!

They stopped, only for a second. Your tears continued to fall.

"Sasuke might be your son…"

I stopped.

"…but he is not your obligation…"

You dropped the azalea.

"…I'm taking us back to Hokkaido. I'll stay with my parents. Finance won't be a problem."

You immediately let go of my shirt and I took a few steps back. Like a sudden rain, the feeling of loss fell onto my shoulders. I couldn't move or turn away. Your eyes were wide like a petrified doll, mouth hung open. The nun came in at that time, and you quietly shut the door. In an unknown silence, you allowed the nun the bandage your feet. Eyes looking anywhere but at me. I trembled, and I shook. Hearing the information that I did, I didn't know what to think anymore. And with how things were, I was sure that was the last time I would ever meet you.

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_"...the far-_  
_departed mouth sweetly-saluted_  
_lingers."_

~ E. E. Cummings

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. . .

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I hope you enjoyed the prelude. Please support and review! Every one is appreciated!


	2. 1-1: First Nights

_**WARNING: **This story deals with uncomfortable topics, a romance between siblings being the main one. There will be no last minute plot twist of them finding that they are not related, so if these is a topic that you do not want to explore with me, I understand if you decide to leave now. **  
NOTICE: **As this story takes place in Japan, all units of measurement will be in the metric system. Apologies to readers who still live with the imperial system..._

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**1.1: First Nights**

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By the time she had reached Eniwa Station, it was already close to sundown. Despite it being early April, the winter wonderland seemed to be far from over. Snow gently fell on the platform as she exited the train with several other wary looking travelers. Wrapping her scarf a little tighter around her neck, she followed the mass out to the front. Her breath caught in swirls of white, a few of the other passengers had already lifted their umbrellas. She'd been told to look for a smaller van. Though the snow had only reached a couple of centimeters, telling car from lamp post was a little more difficult than it should have been.

Thankfully, someone stepped out of a car - obviously not a lamp post - at the back of the parking lot and started waving her hands. Taking that as a signal, she quickly walked over, trying hard not to slip or loose hold of her bags.

"Hinata-chan," a woman much taller than Hinata herself made a small bow.

Cautious of her eyes, Hinata only smiled and made sure to look at the ground.

"It's so cold out, it must be about four degrees out right now. What are you thinking wearing so little?" The woman rubbed her own arms as she opened the back trunk.

Hinata took her bags and dumped them inside. She didn't have much. Everything she owned and needed was able to fit in two smaller duffels, a backpack, and one large suitcase. And even though her father and sister offered to take time away from their own vacations to help her move happily into the boarding house in Sapporo, Hinata had refused. Partly out of mindfulness of their time – but mostly out of selfishness of wanting to get away as fast as she could.

Not that she did not love them, but the air around her family suffocated her. It hurt so much that she couldn't stand to stay there much more than she needed. After all, it was only Hokkaido. Her brother had made his discomfort more obvious by escaping to America.

"It's quite all right, Haruno-san," Hinata responded. "I don't mind the cold."

Walking to the passenger seat, she waited for Mrs. Haruno to get in first before climbing into the car herself.

"I can't tell if you're lying or not Hinata-chan," Mrs. Haruno said, "you're so pale already, it's hard to tell."

Hinata let out a nervous laugh.

"My husband would have been here to help with all the bags but he was working late. I didn't want to be late picking you up." Mrs. Haruno explained. "And my daughter was out with a few of her friends. You understand right? Spending your last night with friends before you leave?"

Hinata gave a meaningless nod.

"Well my daughter is just spending her last night with all her close high school friends. Some she won't see till the next winter holidays."

"Ah," was all Hinata could say.

Driving down the streets of Eniwa, the snow slowly began to pick up as the sun just disappeared under the horizon. Even in the growing darkness, the snow could be seen shining in layers over mailboxes, curbs, cars, and roofs. At first, it seemed like the barren trees even sported powder white leaves. The more they drove, the more the scene outside of the car window looked like just a large white blur.

There wasn't much talking; which was fine with Hinata, she didn't feel much like speaking. There were simple questions every once in a while. All of them could be answered with a simple and polite answer exceeding no more than a few words, such as: It's snowing hard, isn't it? Are you cold? Do you want me to turn on the radio?

They were simple. Hinata would face the woman, answer (_Yes. Of course not. No need, Haruno-san._), and then turn back to look out the window. Hinata had met Mrs. Haruno and her husband when Hinata had been requested to undergo a supplementary interview for Hokkaido University. Then, as it turned out her interviewer had coincidentally been her mother's friend in high school. They had ended up spending most of the interview talking about her mother, something that Hinata hadn't done since her death nearly five years ago.

"Ah," Mrs. Haruno piped, "here we are Hinata-chan."

The car turned into the driveway lined with bricks and bare bushes. It was a modest two story house. Hinata had never seen homes so far apart, the last one she had seen was a little walk away. Stepping out of the car, Hinata and Mrs. Haruno took out the things from the back and took them up to the front door. At first, Mrs. Haruno had seemed to have forgotten where her keys were. She spent a while looking for them and Hinata felt the chill of the wind blow everyone in a while. Finally, Mrs. Haruno remembered that she'd left the house keys in her car – along with the car keys. And all of that happened to only find out that Mrs. Haruno had dangerously left the front door unlocked.

The Haruno home felt like the complete opposite of hers. It was filled with deep, warm colors. There were heavy curtains that draped every window. All the furniture was very western styled with dark wooded chairs and coffee tables. It smelled like oak.

Pictures lined the hall that led to the upstairs. Most of them Hinata recognized to have Sakura, the only child of the Haruno, in them. She only knew because the one at the bottom resembled the same one Mrs. Haruno had shown her during her supplementary interview. It was one that must have been taken at her graduation because Sakura was holding a rolled paper and was still in her school uniform.

"So, this is your room for when you stay with us, alright Hinata-chan?"

The stairs had led to a loft area with three doors. The one that Mrs. Haruno had led her to was the furthest one from the stairs. When she opened the door, Hinata felt a little relieved that this room was less decorated than what she'd seen of the rest of the house. It was just a room with a bed in the far corner. The sheets were still very bright and rich like the drapes on the window, but she could manage with that.

"I didn't know what kind of decorations you wanted," Mrs. Haruno said entering the room. "I hope you don't mind that I left it so… blank!"

Hinata smiled.

"It's nice," she said courteously.

Mrs. Haruno sighed. She walked to a closet door and slid it open, then close.

"You struck me a lot like your mother." Mrs. Haruno said. "She was really organized and knew exactly what she wanted and what she would need to get it. She wasn't as material and sentimental as me."

Hinata's lip twitched.

"Well," Mrs. Haruno chirped, "are you hungry Hinata-chan? After such a long trip you surely must be."

"I could use a little dinner," Hinata said sheepishly.

Mrs. Haruno's eyes seemed to light at the words.

"Then I'll go and make something." Mrs. Haruno said as she walk to the door. "Do you like _yudofu_?"

"That sounds good, Haruno-san," Hinata said. "Thank you."

Mrs. Haruno smiled and closed the door as she left. When Hinata heard the click, she turned to set down her bags. Sitting down on the bed, she started to unbutton her jacket. She unwrapped the red scarf around her neck but left it hanging. Reaching up she slipped the hat off her head and brushed a bit of snow that hadn't yet melted from the little pompom on the top. Gently placing it down beside her, Hinata bent down to grab one of her bags.

She unzipped it and pulled out a small, pastel blue handheld phone. She flipped it open to find that she had a new message. It was from her sister asking if she'd made it to the Haruno home safely. It made her feel a little guilty, seeing as how she'd left Hanabi to just be with their father alone. Hinata had always thought she was a little more empathetic than this, she knew how it felt to be left to deal with their broken home. She had felt it the day her brother had decided to move abroad. And the weight of the world had seemed to fall a little heavier on her shoulders without her dear Neji-nii-san to carry it with her. Hinata wondered just how horrible of a person she must be to have suddenly just dumped five years of responsibility and shattered glass onto her sister.

Hesitantly, Hinata began typing out a reply.

"Made it to Eniwa and the Haruno house safe and sound," she read out loud.

She paused, typed in an emoticon, and pressed send. The room was a little larger than the one she had back in Tokyo but felt massive since she had shared a room with her sister. Her phone _ping_-ed.

_Glad to hear you're safe. Have fun!_

Was that the moment she should have started to cry? Hinata didn't know. She knew that the exclamation was a false excitement. She was certain that even if Hanabi didn't despise her, she must have at least felt a little bitter. But Hinata could only think that that perhaps Hanabi was attempting to show courage.

Slipping her phone back into her bag, she dumped her bag to her side. Something dropped out onto the ground. Looking over, she saw leather bound book with paper sticking out every which way. Picking it up, she knew what it was. It had been her sketchbook, the same one she'd kept since she was ten. She remembered how hesitant she'd been to bring it. It was a privet sketch book. Some children wrote in diaries and journals to vent their inner feelings. Hinata had never been good with words, even her inner voices were jumbles of incoherent whispers that popped from one corner of her mind to the other. So, to sort out her thoughts, she could only express it through visual drawings.

It had fallen out and landed so that it was faced down, turned to a certain page. When she picked it up, she hadn't bothered to close it before looking down. Hinata didn't like looking back at what she'd drawn once she'd finished it. It usually took a few days to complete a drawing, and once she had completed it, she hated to ever look at it again. It was like if she went back, her heart and mind would return to the feelings that she had forced onto that one page.

But down on that page, she only took a glimpse before immediately closing it. Too late. She could still picture the sharp jaw and hazy eyes that she'd colored blood red. A fully bloomed pastel blue azalea stuck in the mouth. She shuttered. Quickly, she put it back into her bag and hastily re-zipped it. Getting up, she walked over to the lone window.

Pulling back the heavy curtain, all it showed was the vastness of dark sky and white floored snow. There must have had to have been clouds. The moon wasn't visible. She placed one hand and the glass and exhaled, fogging her vision. She wasn't sure where she felt more removed from the world from the height of her apartment in Tokyo or the rural placement of the Haruno's spare bedroom.

She let the curtain fall back into place. The _yudofu _must have been almost ready by then.

* * *

Downstairs, Mr. Haruno had just returned from his job at one of the best Ramen shops in town. He and Mrs. Haruno ran a mom-and-pop's styled place that a lot of the school kids liked going to in the winter. Mr. Haruno was the chef while Mrs. Haruno handled finance and hosting. They were well liked by the neighborhood and their shop was in-style and popular year round. Seeing his wife in the kitchen, Mr. Haruno came in and wrapped a loving hand around her waist.

"You're home," Mrs. Haruno said. She gave him a kiss. "Where's your daughter?"

Mr. Haruno had offered to host the goodbye event for his daughter and her friends. It had been busy with so many teenagers sitting in the small little shop, but Sakura had smiled the whole time so he felt the hard work was worth it.

"She's walking back with some of her _friends_," Mr. Haruno responded.

"_Friends_…?" Mrs. Haruno repeated.

She stared at Mr. Haruno for a moment before fully understanding his implications. Opening her mouth in realization she nodded. Turning around, she placed a bowl at one end of the table just as Hinata came down the stairs.

"Oh, just in time Hinata-chan," Mrs. Haruno said in a sing-song voice. "I just finished making your _yudofu_."

"Thank you," Hinata said with a small bow.

Taking notice of the other man standing by Mrs. Haruno, she only assumed that he was Mr. Haruno.

"You must be Hyuuga Hinata-chan," the man said with a smile. "I'm Sakura's father, though everyone who comes to our shop calls me Haruno-oji-san."

Hinata smiled and reached out to shake his hand. He had a calloused palm from years of hard work, she thought. Wrinkles branched from the corners of his eyes and down from the sides of his nose. His hairline was receding and when he smiled it showed a row of crooked grey teeth. He wasn't particularly attractive, but he looked like one of the jolliest people Hinata had ever met.

"Thank you for letting me stay at your home while I'm in Hokkaido," Hinata said with a bow. "If there is anything I can do to help when I'm around, just let me know."

Mr. Haruno laughed.

"No need to be so polite Hinata-chan," he said.

Hinata nodded. She took a seat in front of the _yudofu_. It steamed and she hadn't known till then just how hungery she had been. It may have just been a block of tofu in broth, but it smelled nostalgic. It reminded her of her mother. This was a dish that her mother always made in the coldest of Tokyo winters.

"_Itadakimasu_," she said, hands together and eyes closed.

First, she took off a corner and put it in her mouth. Second, she took some of the broth, blew three times, and then sipped it. It may have smelled and looked nostalgic, but it surely didn't taste it. Salty, and not as light - disappointing.

"It's very good Haruno-san," Hinata said.

Mrs. Haruno gave a wide grin. She clapped her hands together and her eyes seemed to gleam as though Hinata had told her she had just saved her life.

"I'm so glad," Mrs. Haruno sighed. "Your mother taught me how to make that. It was like a little exchange you know. She taught me how to make _yudofu_ and I would give her my _yukata_ for the Azalea Festival."

"Is that so?" Hinata gave a wan smile.

A few moments of silence. Mrs. Haruno never let her grin fall as she cleared her throat and excused herself from the room. Once her footsteps could be heard from above, Mr. Haruno pulled out a chair and took a seat.

"My wife talked about your mother a lot when we first met," Mr. Haruno said "I had actually met my wife that night that she was just talking about. I had just saved up enough money from working at our family ramen house to buy a plane ticket to Tokyo. I'd always wanted to go there."

He smiled, recalling the memory. Hinata just sat and listened. She didn't realized she was staring until Mr. Haruno looked back up at her and she snapped back. Quickly, she cast her eyes on the tofu in front of her, hastily taking more from the corner.

"I'm sorry if my wife is a little…" he paused, trying to think of the correct words. "…if she's a little headstrong."

He nodded and grunted in approval of his choice in description.

"N-no," Hinata stuttered. She swallowed. "Haruno-san is really nice, and because of her I was able to come to Hokkaido… I'm really grateful to Mrs. Haruno and you, and Sakura-san for allowing me to be here in your home."

Mr. Haruno smiled and pressed his hands together on the table.

"You're a very sensitive girl aren't you Hinata-chan?"

Hinata's eyes widened.

"Hah?"

"I mean it as a compliment," Mr. Haruno laughed. "You seem very caring and sensitive to others. It's different for my wife, so I just feel like it to be natural for the two of you to be a little awkward for now. It may be the same way with my daughter and you since she shares so much of her mother's traits. You and I have similar personalities so I can tell."

Hinata didn't know how to respond.

"Don't worry Hinata-chan," Mr. Haruno assured, "in actuality, these quiet and loud personalities match really well together."

She felt she should smile at that point. Hesitantly, the corners of her lips warily turned up.

"Do you mind if I go outside for a moment?" Hinata suddenly asked.

Mr. Haruno turned to look out the window. Pitch black.

"It may not be the safest thing right now Hinata-chan," Mr. Haruno advised. "It's completely dark out."

"That's no problem," Hinata politely interjected. "I actually don't mind the dark, I like it really. I promise I won't go further that the front road."

Mr. Haruno didn't seem too assured and was ready to protest when Hinata stood. Taking a small bow, she didn't turn back again before she had put on her boots and was out the front door. It really was dark, only specks of white snow that gently fell to the ground could be with the dim porch light. Even her clouded breath was barely visible as it swirled in front of her.

"Ah…" A girl's voice came from the darkness. "You must be Hinata-chan."

Hinata squinted her eyes as footsteps got closer. At first, it was hard to see who it was, but the smile almost identical to her mother's, Hinata knew that it was only Haruno Sakura. Her hair was shorter and had been dyed some shade of red, but she looked still much like the Haruno Sakura from the graduation picture.

"What are you doing out here?" Sakura asked. "You should come in."

In the time that Hinata stood unable to answer, Sakura had already made it close enough to place her hand on the handle of the door.

"Ah, no…" Hinata managed. "I was just getting some fresh air."

At first, Sakura wondered if she should push a little more, to be sure that her new house guest would not freeze to death.

"Well, I'll leave the door unlocked." Sakura finally said. Before shutting the door, she made sure to say, "Don't stay out too long, it only gets colder."

Realizing that she'd left without a coat or warmer clothes, Hinata contemplated going back in. She finally decided against it. The Haruno weren't unfriendly. Far from it. But there was something that unsettled her. The over welcomed greetings and conversations they were so willing to give made her feel uneasy. There was something much too familiar, yet so foreign about the way they seemed to hold out open arms to her. Looking down at her pale hands, she saw them shake a little from the cold.

Patting her cheeks, she took her first step out into the darkness. She wrapped the scarf that was around her neck a few more times and continued to take a few more steps. Even if the snow weighed next to nothing, she could still feel the chill of each one as it landed on her head.

She wasn't too sure, but soon she thought she felt the snow get a little deeper. She stopped and thought that perhaps she had made it to the front road. In front of her was complete darkness, and behind her were the porch lights. She knew they were there. She could feel how inviting the inside of the house felt, how warm the _yudofu_ had felt going down her throat and into her stomach. But all she could really do was stand and stare into the void.

It wasn't like there was nothing there, though. She knew that even if she couldn't see it, there was still the road leading somewhere. Where, she didn't know, but at this point in her life, she was done with wondering, really.

"You should go back in."

The voice startled her. She couldn't see who it was, but she was certain it was male. Deep and smooth, calming. It wasn't far either, almost so close that she could possibly reach out and touch it.

"It's cold out tonight, you should go back." The voice said again.

"A-ah…"

The voice was definitely close. And the second time it spoke, it only felt closer. Involuntarily, she felt her face flush red. She stiffened and wondered if the owner of the not-so-distant voice could see how brightly she must have been glowing. She was certain she had outgrown the habit, that and stuttering.

"Turn back."

The words were demanding, but the voice wasn't. She couldn't see a face, but there was a tone of helplessness, pleading. Whoever it was, he did not feel like a strong person, almost broken.

"A-ah…" she said, words caught in her throat.

Slowly, she willed her feet to step back a few times before completely turning to return to the house. With each step, she contemplated looking back to maybe see who had so urgently told her to go back. With so much concern, she wondered if he could even see her clearly in all that darkness. Once she reached the front door and had her hand on the handle, it clicked open with ease. She looked back, but there was no one there. Only dark.

* * *

The _yudofu _was still on the table. Hinata thought it'd be a waste if she just left it there. She sat down to eat the rest, this time alone. Figuring that everyone else was already getting ready for bed, she figured she shouldn't take long herself. Not realizing that there was someone coming down from the stairs, she was startled when Sakura sat across from her.

"So you're Hinata-chan," Sakura said.

Hinata, trying hard not to choke, waited till the bit of tofu in her throat had completely gone down. In the light of the dining area, she could finally make out that Sakura looked a lot like her mother, pixy like features. Sakura had a small nose and lips. A rather large forehead that resembled her father's receding hairline, but a cute heart shaped face… at least created by the wisps of hair. They were pink, Hinata could finally tell. She looked pretty, pretty and confident.

"You must be Sakura-san," Hinata said politely.

"Oh, gee," Sakura giggled. "Sakura-_san_? Who am I? An old maid?"

Hinata wasn't sure how to respond. When Mr. Haruno had said that his daughter was similar to his wife in forwardness, Hinata should have taken that bit of information with more thought.

"C'mon now," Sakura continued, "We're the same age right? Use something a little cuter like Sakura-chan at least."

"Alright…" Hinata said hesitantly. She looked down to her tofu, half eaten.

"You don't have to eat it if you don't like it," Sakura said so naturally. "My mom won't take offense. She knows she isn't the best cook. My dad usually cooks in the house."

Hinata was taken aback by the casual bluntness.

"… is that so…" Hinata quietly breathed.

"Yup, just put the plate in the sink and you should be fine." Sakura said. "Oh, and then I can show you where the shower is and how to use it. You must be really tired and want to go to bed as soon as possible, right?"

"Maybe after I finish," Hinata said. "I'd feel bad if I just let Haruno-san's hard work go to waste. She went through so much trouble just to make if for me."

Sakura smiled.

"Alright," Sakura said. "I can tell already, you're going to be my mom's favorite."

Hinata was going to take that remark as a complement and continued to eat. She made sure not to look up too often. Sakura on the other hand made no effort to conceal her interest in Hinata, staring intently as she brought the soup spoon to her lips and tentatively took a sip. White skin, dark hair, wide hazel eyes, Sakura couldn't help but compare Hinata to the little porcelain dolls she used to keep on her shelf as a child.

"So our moms used to be best friends," Sakura said.

Hinata paused and looked up, catching Sakura's eyes.

"It seemed that they were."

Sakura nodded and bit her inner lip. She turned to look away for a moment before bringing her attention back.

"Do you think that we could be just as good of friends?" She asked expectantly.

Hinata blinked a couple times. She set down her spoon, realizing just then that she'd practically finished. She thought about the question. She knew that the best way to answer was to just agree. But could she really? Hinata thought that it wasn't good to lie, staying silent was always better than lying. Being friends with Sakura, someone she'd just met, seemed too soon to tell. Hinata didn't want to make any false promises, because a false promise may as well just be a bullet ready to fire into the heart. But if they really could be friends, Hinata was sure it'd been a long time since she'd truly made one.

"Perhaps," Hinata finally said. Thinking about it enough, it didn't seem too implausible. She gave a slow, but hopeful smile. "It would be nice if that could happen."

Sakura smiled and nodded. They just continued to sit in silence as the flick of the incandescent lights dimmed and lit. Sakura only shifted every once in a while, seeming accustomed – not content – with the growing void of silence between them. Hinata just continued to eat slowly and stared at her bowl, only looking up to glance at Sakura every so often. It would be nice if they could become close friends.

* * *

Hinata sat in her new room. It wasn't comfortable, but it had four closed walls, so it felt safe. There was something oddly comforting about not being able to hear as Sakura took her bath just a door down or the Haruno parents snoring across the loft. Even though just outside of her closed door, everything echoed through the walls, there was a sanctuary if the doors were shut. Even in the bath Hinata could still here as Sakura exchanged the pleasantries of a goodnight to her parents.

Sakura was most likely just soaking in the warm water, maybe listening as the snow fell outside. Hinata looked out the window and could every once in a while see as the white of the snow reflected a bit of the dim light from the house behind. She could see it till the light suddenly shut off, leaving the back window empty and black. Hinata sighed and lifted her feet to cross them on the bed.

Her phone buzzed.

Hinata went down and saw she actually had two messages. One from her sister and other from…

"Neji-nii-san…" Her brother.

Flipping the phone open, the first message from Hanabi only wished her goodnight and luck on her moving into the boarding house. She quickly texted back a thank you and a wish for sweet dreams, hoping silently that Hanabi would get the message before going to bed. It was almost past midnight, making it unlikely since – even if she was young – Hanabi could never stay awake long enough on New Year's to see the fireworks.

Scrolling down her messages, she stopped at the one message sent by her brother. Clicking, it read for her to call him before she went to bed. It had been sent while she'd been taking a bath and she had wondered how he had known she would be up so late. Or perhaps he hadn't taken into account the time difference and assumed she would be awake at all the hours he was.

She and Neji used to be the closest of siblings, closer than she and Hanabi. Even though Hinata shared a room with Hanabi, Neji and she had a smaller age gap, meaning that they did practically everything with each other. As they grew older, they grew apart as there were more and more things they seemed to want to keep from each other. With fumbling fingers, Hinata dialed her brother's cell number, struggling momentarily to remember all the codes needed for international calls.

"Hello, Hinata-sama?" There was something familiar in the joking way her cousin addressed her.

Ever since they were children, Neji had told Hinata that she was dainty like a princess. Hinata had then told him that if she was a princess, then Neji was strong like a samurai. And so from then, as an inside joke – just between the two of them – Neji would call Hinata 'Hinata-sama'.

"Neji-nii-san," Hinata cheerfully said into the receiver, "how are you?"

"Alright," Neji said in his usual reserved manner.

"That's good."

A pause.

"Have you made it to the Haruno house okay?"

"I wouldn't be calling if I hadn't," Hinata told her brother.

"You wouldn't be calling if you had." He countered.

Hinata laughed. Falling back onto her bed, she stared up to the ceiling.

"Is it late in Hokkaido right now?" Neji asked.

"Not too late." Hinata lied.

"You're a bad liar," Neji said.

"That isn't true," Hinata defended herself, "Neji-nii-san just never asks me questions he doesn't already know the answer to."

"That isn't true."

They both knew that it was though. She knew that Neji must have been fully aware of the time, otherwise he wouldn't have been asking. Neji never asked unless he was sure of the answer, otherwise he never bothered. For someone like Neji, questions were just ways of affirming what he already thought to be true. He was right most of the time. But the point in lying was because she didn't want him to hang up so soon if she told him that it was late.

"I should let you sleep," Neji said.

"No," Hinata whined. Her voice going (uncharacteristically) higher than it already was. "Neji-nii-san, you should tell me more about how you're doing. You've stopped messaging me about America. And it's been so long since I've gotten a picture from you."

"It's been busy Hinata." He sounded worn.

"Oh…"

Hinata slumped her back deeper into the springs of the bed. When her brother had first left for America, Hinata had thought that – while a bit bitter – maybe her brother could finally fly free like he'd always said he'd wanted to do. And at first, it really seemed like he had. He had sent her photos at least once a week of something new or interesting he'd found or seen. Neji would give her constant updates of things he had done or places he had been to. Sometimes he would even try to explain in an email different things he had learned in his lectures.

She enjoyed it when she would get new updates from Neji. Even if he was an ocean away, sometimes it felt like she was still a part of his life. That was until the messages slowly dwindled from a long page to just a few quick lines. Then a couple words. Then all together, it was lucky to receive a good night wish or "I'm doing well" at all. This call and message was the first time Hinata had been in contact with Neji since her acceptance into Hokkaido University two moths ago. Perhaps he really was just that busy and she was simply that insensitive.

"Do you have class soon?" Hinata asked.

"I don't for another half hour, but I should go in a few minutes." Neji said.

"Ah…"

"Are you excited?" Neji asked, as though hearing the dejectedness of Hinata's voice.

"For university?"

"What else?"

Hinata paused. Was she really excited? She was definitely relieved to be leaving the house. But did that equate to excitement? There were surely going to be new experiences, and certainly new people she would meet. Hokkaido and Sapporo were different than Tokyo and Bunkyo district, it felt different. But the difference… did it make her _excited_?

"Y-…yes?" Hinata said apprehensively.

Neji didn't say anything for a while. Hinata wasn't sure if it had been the answer he had been expecting, or maybe it was exactly what he knew she would say.

"You're a good girl Hinata."

"Hah?"

Hinata wasn't sure why the sudden statement.

"You're a good girl Hinata." He repeated again. "You'll make friends and this will be a fun experience for you."

"Neji-nii…"

"There will be times where you might feel home sick, or unsure of yourself, or guilty…" Neji continued. "…or just lost. But you have a good head Hinata. You're kind and have a good heart, but you aren't naïve. University is a big step for you, but you'll handle it fine. Remember Hinata, you're a Hyuuga. And Hyuuga succeed above all else."

Hinata could feel a tear well in one eye. The sincerity in her brother's voice was one she hadn't heard in such a long time, even if it was only through the phone. She had forgotten just how much she missed him, missed hearing his voice console her in her hardest times. After their mother's death, they hardly had anything to say to one another, afraid of saying the wrong thing. Neji had become colder while Hinata seemed to grow coarser, and the lack of words just made the distance greater. Hearing as he tried to calm her nerves reminded her of when she was little. And in the odd safety of this little room, Hinata let the tear fall.

"Yeah," Hinata said, trying to control the shaking in her voice. "Thanks Neji-nii-san."

"Don't worry Hinata," Neji assured her one more time. "I have to go now."

"Okay," Hinata said.

"Goodnight Hinata-sama," Neji said jokingly.

"Goodnight."

Hinata didn't hang up till she heard the line cut.

* * *

**. . .**

* * *

_Yudofu: A Japanese dish consisting of boiled tofu in broth  
Itadakimasu: A phrase said before eating_

_Thank you to all who reviewed the Prelude! This is the official first part of the first...chapter?... section? I'm not too sure what to call these. Either way, these will be a little slower paced, but bare with me. If you feel discomfort reading my story, I think that means I'm doing my job right._

_Please continue to support! All reviews are appreciated! _


	3. 1-2: First Nights

**. . .**

* * *

**1.2: First Nights**

* * *

Light trickled in from the sliver between the drapes. A tap on the door and Hinata's eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Hinata?" Mrs. Haruno's voice could be heard from the other side of the closed door. "Breakfast is ready when you are."

Lazing a little more in bed, Hinata snaked out her hand from beneath the covers and into her bag on the floor. Taking out her phone, she flipped it open and checked the time. Just past eight, she found it in herself to pick herself up from the mattress, a small groan leaving her lips. Rubbing her eyes, Hinata let out a yawn and got out of bed to pull open the drapes. A blast of sunlight hit her.

She winced and shut her eyes for a moment and made a low grumbling sound before laughing at herself. She never was a morning person.

Sakura and Mr. Haruno were down at the table eating when Hinata came down. Taking the same seat that she had the night before, she realized that she was sitting right across from Mrs. Haruno. The woman was looking a little timid and hesitent to look Hinata in the eyes, but Hinata acted as though she paid no notice. Sakura on the other hand happily greeted Hinata and immediately placed a few pickled radishes onto Hinata's rice bowl.

"_Itadakimasu_," Hinata said.

"Did you have a good rest?" Mr. Haruno asked.

He was chewing on a broiled fish and spit out the bones onto a napkin. Hinata nodded her head and gave a small smile.

"The bed was very comfortable," Hinata said.

"That's good." Sakura picked up her own broiled fish. She stuck it in her mouth and sucked before picking up another and handing it out to Hinata. "I don't know how the boarding house will be, but I doubt we'll be sleeping quite as well as we do here."

Hinata laughed and nipped off a part of her fish and carefully started picking out the bones.

"I suppose not."

That morning definitely felt less tense than the night before. Whether it was due to the ease of having Sakura to carry the small conversations or just the fact that the Haruno had accepted the fact that Hinata was not much of a talker - no one knew. But the morning carried on and by noon, Hinata and Sakura were on the train going for Hokkaido University.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Haruno were driving to the location of the boarding house wish all of Sakura and Hinata's things. The girls took a train to meet them there. Both girls sat in the seats closest to the door. Hinata stared at the blur of scenery they passed while Sakura had her ear plugs in, laughing and texting someone unknown to Hinata. Strangers would hardly even know that the two knew each other. Slowly, Hinata's gaze drifted towards Sakura. Her eyes stopped to notice how oddly fitting the bubblegum pink hair suited the Haruno girl. As though feeling the stare, Sakura stopped texting and looked back at Hinata. Catching herself, Hinata quickly turned away and hid her eyes behind neatly combed bangs.

Sakura acted hardly bothered by Hinata's strange actions and only awkwardly laughed. Pulling out one plug, she offered it to Hinata.

"Want to listen?" Sakura asked.

Hinata peaked up and for a while only stared at the small bud. Hesitantly, she took it and put it into her ear. She recognized it as an artist she'd heard on the radio a while ago somewhere. A voice familiar but very generic, one that could be mistaken for any other no name singer, yet very popular regardless. Going back to her phone, Sakura stared laughing again.

Hinata wanted to ask who. But a thought that maybe it wasn't her place to crossed her mind. Then the realization that Sakura would do the exact same thing if it were Hinata in her place, reassured her that Sakura wouldn't care either way. Sakura seemed reasonably understanding.

"What is so funny Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked.

At first there was no change in Sakura, making Hinata wonder if she had even heard. Then Sakura hit a few more buttons before closing the phone.

"I'm just laughing at some friends." Sakura said. "A few of my classmates are going to Hokkaido University, too."

"Really?" Hinata said, not at all surprised.

She expected it. A good university just under an hour's train ride from home, why wouldn't all of them at least try to get admitted. Many of Hinata's friends had aimed for Universities in Tokyo. If they had wanted to go anywhere else, it was always abroad. Only she applied to be admitted for a domestic university outside of Tokyo, surprising even her teachers.

"Yeah," Sakura laughed. "Most of my classmates went to Sapporo yesterday so I'm asking them to tell me stories of their first nights. Some of them are really funny."

"Ah…" Hinata nodded.

"One of them said that their neighbor was having some kind of band practice all night and so she hardly got any sleep." Sakura laughed and Hinata followed along.

A moment of silence as the song switched to something a little faster paced. There was a lot of heavy base and synth sounds.

"So all of your classmates are already in Sapporo?" Hinata clarified, trying her best to keep the conversation going.

"Almost," Sakura said. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her eyes widened and she sprung up a bit. Looking back down at her lap, her phone screen had brightened showing that she had a new message. Picking it up, she flipped it open and read the message. She started laughing a chirping kind of laugh, different than the other ones. It felt lighter, happier. There was a sprightliness to it that seemed to bubble onto her widened smile. Sakura bit her lip as a small blush tinted her cheeks. In a flurry, Sakura quickly typed in a response.

"One of my… friends texted me saying they just woke up." Sakura told Hinata.

Hinata failed to see why such information was so funny. She also noticed how Sakura seemed to hesitate when calling this person a friend.

"Wow, so late," Hinata commented.

Sakura nodded and giggled.

"He must not have slept well," Sakura said. "Usually he wakes up really early."

"Is he a close friend?" Hinata asked.

"We've always been in the same class since middle school." Sakura explained. "We've always been at the top together. And at our school the top of the class are always the class representative, so we constantly had to work together."

There was still a bubbly smile and rosy blush on her face as Sakura spoke. Hinata concluded that it must be a boy she was infatuated with.

"I assume he is also attending Hokkaido University?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah," Sakura piped.

There was a silence again and the song changed. Something slow and quite, barely audible over the sound of train on tracks. Sakura took out her mp3 and scrolled through it, looking for a different song to listen to. Hinata turned away and started looking out the window once again, rubbing her hands nervously against her skirt. The snow from the night before had stopped and it wasn't scheduled to snow in Sapporo for the next few days. At least there would be no worry of a blizzard on the first day of lectures, Hinata thought amusingly to herself.

The song switched to something more moderately tempo-d. There was a guitar rift before someone began singing in what sounded like English. While not as fluent as her cousin, Hinata wasn't bad in the language. But this singer seemed to mumble the words making individual sounds hard to decipher. Her brows came together as she tried hard to understand exactly what was being said. Hinata knew that complex and metaphorical poetry were her weakest points when it came to her English tutoring, but this song made her feel absolutely inept. She was certain the song couldn't be about a fish eating donuts.

"What did you apply to study, Hinata-chan?"

"Hah?" Hinata shifted her attention back to Sakura, not quite hearing what she'd asked.

Sakura giggled.

"What did you apply to study, Hinata-chan?" She repeated.

"O-oh," Hinata stuttered, a little embarrassed. "I'm in the School of Economics and Business. I'm planning on getting my degree in economics."

"Wow," Sakura said. "You must be good at mathematics and statistics then."

Hinata laughed uneasily.

"Not really," she giggled awkwardly. "I just enjoy looking at numbers is all…"

"Ah," Sakura sighed. "That's more than I can say. I struggled to get top marks for my mathematics exam."

"It isn't for everyone."

The song reached a moment of key change. The chorus was repetitive of a single phrase and Hinata tried her hardest to ignore her lack of understanding of the lyrics.

"What about you Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked. "What school did you apply to?"

Sakura perked up, as though she'd been waiting for Hinata to ask.

"School of Medicine," She said proudly.

"Really?" This time, there was real amazement in Hinata's voice.

"Yes," Sakura nodded, smiling. "I worked extra hard during my last year of high school studying to get the qualifications to apply. My parents were really supportive of me the whole time so I didn't feel too much pressure."

Hinata nodded, feeling a tinge of jealousy.

"But I want to get my degree in health science… or maybe to be a doctor…" Sakura said. "I haven't really decided on that part yet."

The two stared at each other for a few more seconds as the song came to its climatic finish with loud bangs of drums and guitars. But then complete silence as the next song seemed to come along in a whisper as compared to the previous one. Sakura's eyes wavered and she fumbled to change the song once again. Hinata this time easily lead her eyes to look back out the window as the train came to a station, letting off a few of its passengers.

A faint sound of an acoustic guitar came on, no words and just instrumental. Hinata knew this song, it had been a popular video online a few years ago before it fell through the vapid tastes that is the music world. But it brought on a set of nostalgia. She could still see in the corner of her eye that Sakura was still trying to find a different song to listen to, but Hinata leaned her head back against the window and closed her eyes.

"You can leave it on this song," Hinata said. "I don't mind."

Sakura stopped scrolling and looked back at Hinata who had her head lulled back, eyes shut, as though being on the train were the most comforting thing in the world. Sakura's thumb twitched over the song selections, but ultimately, she set it back down and unsettlingly folded her hands back into her lap. She was left to listen to the soft guitar playing alone while Hinata took a nap all the way to their stop in Sapporo.

* * *

"There are my parents," Sakura said pointing to the small van.

It sputtered to a stop, puffing a last grey ball of smog. Mrs. Haruno stepped out and wrapped herself further into her winter coat. When she caught sight of the two girls walking up to the front of the boarding house, Mrs. Haruno immediately waved to them. Sakura and Hinata waved back.

"How was the car ride?" Sakura asked as they got closer. "I hope our stuff wasn't too much for this old thing."

Sakura tapped the side of the car, something her family had been driving since she was little.

"It held up just fine," Mrs. Haruno assured. "Now come on, we need to get you girl's things from the car and then your father and I have to head back to the shop."

The girls nodded and both went to aid Mr. Haruno as he opened the back of the car. Hinata immediately recognized her things sitting in the back seats of the van. She did her best to take those first. She had just as many bags as Sakura, just hers were significantly smaller. It took all of the Haruno to carry what Sakura had decided to bring. Hinata made it to the top of the steps leading to the modest looking townhouse – much nicer looking than what Hinata had expected a boarding home to be.

Already standing at the top of the steps were two girls one foreigner and another one with lighter dyed hair held in two little stubs. Both looked excitingly bored, like they had been standing on that front porch for hours. Unless of course they had been, Hinata thought, making the two overly punctual considering the meeting time with the land lord wasn't until one.

"Oh, are you our third roommate?" the foreign girl asked.

She shifted a few of the bags she was holding, causing her long blond hair to fall into her eyes. Their blue hue obscured. Hinata was surprised to not hear a hint of a foreign accent anywhere in her voice.

"Yes," Hinata said, bending a bit. "I'm Hyuuga Hinata and…"

Hinata looked back at the Haruno as they struggled to get the last of Sakura's things from the trunk of the car.

"I'm Haruno Sakura!" Sakura called. "Nice to meet you two!"

The two girls simultaneously raised a brow.

"Well I'm Temari," the girl with the stubs introduced.

"And I'm Yamanaka Ino," the foreign looking (though apparently not so foreign) girl said. "I'm planning to study agriculture."

Hinata gave another small bow and nodded, acknowledging their introductions. Sakura gave her parents one last hug before making her way up to the porch with the rest of the girls. Hinata could see as Mrs. Haruno continued to watch Sakura with teary glazed eyes. When the small van was driving out of site, Sakura had made it to the top of the steps. The exchange happening by that point were the breaths of the tired and impatient.

"Are we just supposed to knock on the door or…?"

Just as Hinata was about to finish her question, a car pulled up just behind the spot where the Haruno's little van had been. Into the chill of the early spring out stepped a woman in her mid to late thirties wearing nothing but a loose blouse, slacks, and heeled boots. Her hair was loosely pulled back in a low ponytail. Her eyes were covered by horn rimmed sunglasses as she looked around. The beep of the car locking sounded when she started to walk toward the group of girls waiting at the porch. She stopped just at the bottom of the steps.

"Hello girls," she said in a sultry and bellowing voice. "I hope you all haven't been waiting too long."

"Of course not." Ino and Sakura piped together, the former having a more convincing gusto than the latter.

The woman completely ignored the response, giving no indication that she cared in the slightest. With a flick of her wrist she signaled for the girls to move to the side. They did in a hurry, feeling like this woman – despite her rather looser appearance – was strict.

"Are you our land lord?" Temari asked pointedly.

The woman took out a key from the pockets of her slacks and unlocked the front door.

"That's right!" She said. "My name is Tsunade and you girls shall know me by either Tsunade-san, Tsunade-sama, or whatever the hell you want, but never Tsunade-obaa-_anything_."

She swung the door open with a quick push and marched inside. Hesitantly the girls followed behind her. The girls quickly took their shoes off, putting on slippers that were already placed neatly at the front door.

"This is the common room, here you will find some nice couches and a TV with satellite cable." Tsunade told the girls. "There is a countered area over there where you girls can set up a makeshift kitchen but rice cookers and pots are not included. Plates, cups, bowls, and utensils can all be found in the cabinets under the counters."

Tsunade walked further into the common room, placing a hand on one of the couches.

"There are four doors behind me, so each girl gets her own room." Tsunade continued. "Each girl gets her own bed, closet, and desk. Anything extra is bought from your own pockets and will be leaving with you when you finish your stay here. There is only one bathroom with a bath, toilet, and sink. This board house does not come with a washer so I suggest you wash your clothes with a tub provided in the bathroom next to the toilet. Otherwise, the nearest public launder is a half hour train ride and even longer walk."

Taking a few paces, Tsunade took a long breath before taking a seat on the couch. Crossing her legs, she adjusted herself till she was comfortable. The girls looked awkwardly amongst themselves.

"Now here comes the important part." Tsunade sighed. "I will be very clear on the rules of this boarding house.

"One, I am not your fucking maid." Tsunade hissed. "I am your landlord and you will keep this house clean. I'm not saying it needs to be completely dust free, but for Kami's sake make sure you aren't living in a pig pen."

The girls nodded.

"Two, there is a curfew of ten Sunday through Thursday nights and a twelve midnight curfew on Friday and Saturday nights. You girls are big girls now so I'm not going to be here to enforce this one every day. But the alarm system is set to go off if anyone as so much cracks a window between curfew and six the next morning." Tsunade leaned back in the couch. "If for whatever reason you _must _be out till ungodly hours of the night, the pin is '883402'. Got it?"

The girls nodded in unison.

"Good." Tsunade barked. "Along with your punctual curfew, I also expect the same diligence with the monthly rent. It is to be paid at the beginning of every month and I will be here specifically to pick it up. You girls decide how you will divide the costs.

"Now," Tsunade leaned forwards and rested her chin on the back of her hands. "Possibly the strictest rule, here. I absolutely will not tolerate any kind of _extra_-curricular activities to be happening here in this boarding house. Do that in someone else's home but here it will give you the next eviction letter.

"This includes no parties, drugs, alcohol or other things of that sort. You will not bring over your friends for "study sessions", that's what people made libraries for dammit. And you are strictly prohibited from bringing over any boys. Father, brother… boyfriends… none. Are we clear?"

The girls nodded. Tsunade smirked.

"Alright." She lifted herself from the couch. "Now who wants some _sake_?"

From somewhere unknown, she pulled out a bottle of what looked like steaming _sake_.

"…They're under aged…" Temari dead-panned.

* * *

Hinata had set her bags down on the floor. What had, a few moments ago, been just a mattress in a wooden frame was completely sheeted with a blanket and covers and a pillow. A relatively spacious room in its self, Hinata wouldn't have much trouble filling it with her things. She laughed at the thought of how Sakura would try to fit all of her things.

When clothes had been put away and bags stowed, Hinata went out into the common room where Temari was the only girl sitting on the couch. Sakura and Ino must have still been unpacking.

"Oh hey." Temari turned to see Hinata standing a few steps away.

"Hello," Hinata replied meekly.

"You said your name was Hinata, right?" Temari asked, patting spot next to her on the couch. "Do you mind if I just call you Hinata?"

Hinata gave a tight smile, not too used to such blatant familiarities. Temari, taking note of the subtle reaction nodded.

"Then I'll just call you Hyuuga-chan for now." Temari shrugged.

"E-eh…" Hinata struggled to apologize, realizing that Temari hadn't introduced herself with her surname. "I didn't quite mean it like that…"

Temari only laughed and gently pulled Hinata down onto the couch.

"Just call me Temari. I don't really care for formalities." Temari sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Let out of their little stubs, they didn't flow much farther past her shoulders. "I have a brother about your age, Hyuuga-chan. You're about eighteen right?"

Hinata nodded.

"Yeah," Temari said. Her eyes looked off to something unknown. Her lips curved into a nostalgic smile. "I feel a little old honestly, a grad student boarding with a group of fresh university students."

"Grad student?" Hinata said in surprised.

"That's right! So you little girls better not cross me." Temari said with pride. She winked. "I have several years more experience than you girls."

Just then, Ino burst out from her room with an engrossing feeling of confidence. In her hands she had two large bottles of cloudy alcohol. A smug, toothy grin plastered its self onto her face as she stepped like a lioness after securing the dinner for her pride. She set the bottles onto the table in front of the couch before going to find glasses in the cupboard. Temari picked a bottle up and inspected it. An unknown label settled on the cool glass.

"Where'd you get this?" Temari asked.

"My dad owns a brewery up in northern Sapporo." Ino responded picking up a few glasses from the cupboard. "Here they are… We make _sake_."

"_Sake_?" Temari set the bottle down. "You expect us to drink these two massive bottles tonight? You're going to kill us before the term even starts."

Ino came over and placed the glasses down. She laughed, one hand on her hip.

"Of course we're not drinking_ all_ of this." Ino reassured. "I just have an extra one for some other time."

"Saving what for what time?" Sakura came out from her room wearing slightly more comfortable clothing.

Ino looked up, the girls had hardly noticed Sakura's entrance into the common room.

"Oh good," Ino perked up. "Now that we're all here… I thought we'd all get to know each other over a nice bottle of _sake_."

Sitting down, Ino began pouring for four glasses. Sakura came and took a seat by the table and Temari only shrugged as she leaned forwards to take up one glass. The musky looking liquid sat on the bottom of the cup, swirling. Sakura and Hinata did the same, though the latter did so with a little more hesitance. Hinata had only drunk once. It had been for her eighteenth birthday and it had only been a sip of wine from the glass of her father. She hadn't found it to have been an unpleasant experience, she actually quite liked the slight burning sensation of the alcohol as it seemed to leave a trail of warmth down her throat. But a whole glass, Hinata had flushed from just her first taste.

"Here's for a successful life!" Ino raised her glass. "May this be only the start of our reasons to toasts. _Kanpai_!"

"_Kanpai_!" The girls all said together.

Following Temari, Sakura, and Ino's lead, Hinata lifted the cup to her lips.

* * *

"Okay, okay!" Ino laughed and forcefully took a swig of sake. "Geez, how did you know that the lie was that my father is an explorer?"

Temari smirked. Her eyes were half lidded, cheeks a little pink.

"You told us what your father does." Temari said pointedly. "You're like an open book. It only gets worse now that you're completely wasted."

Ino pouted, her pupils dilated. She was completely rosy, with her hair matted to one side.

"Nah..." She drawled out. "I think you're all gangin' up on meh."

With a flaccid hand, she gave a shaky point to Hinata, the girl still as white as porcelain, the only tinge of pink coming from her slight embarrassment.

"Hiiii-na-ta…tan," Ino managed to slur. "She's like a min' reader or somethin'…"

Ino burst into a loud bellowing fit of laughter.

"Ah," Ino sighed. "Okay, Forehead, you're turn."

Sakura was possibly the second to most drunk. Her lips turned up into a wiggling grin, she was gone far enough to no longer care that Ino was making fun of her large brow and instead laughed at the nickname. She was leaning back on an arm while her free hand held a quarter full cup of sake.

"Al'ight…" Sakura huffed and righted herself. "So one, I have pink hair."

She giggled.

"Two… my dad's a dentist." Sakura wobbled a little. "Three-"

Sakura giggled a little more. She set her drink down and slip her head into the crook of her palm.

"Or three, my first kiss was with my firs' love."

"I call BS on the firs' kisssss," Ino was quick to slur.

"Here's Piggy-chan!" Sakura reached over to hold Ino's glass to her face.

Temari laughed out and didn't bother to point out that she and Hinata hadn't made their guess yet. It may not have looked it, but Temari too hand about reached her tolerance level. She wasn't one to begin giggling like a little school girl, she was a quieter type, one that would much rather take a nap after a few drinks. But playing with the girls was fun in its own way, it made her think of herself when she was younger.

Ino comically resisted the glass at first but in the end took down the last drops. Letting out a satisfied breath, she slammed the glass down onto the table.

"Alrigh' Hinata-tan!" Ino pointed.

Hinata gave a cunning little smile. She held her glass out and looked at the table of girls. She thought for a moment.

"One, I used to stutter." Hinata began. "Two, I know how to make cheesecake… or three…."

Hinata paused and looked how half lidded everyone looked around her. She felt a little tinge of guilt seeing all of their half wasted expressions.

"…I've never tasted alcohol before."

Hinata said the words a little slower and eyed Sakura, Ino, and Temari. Her fingers fiddled on the smooth surface of her now lukewarm glass of _sake_. As though she had had a sudden revelation, Ino jumped to her feet and pointed an accusing finger a little off Hinata.

"The last one!" She screamed. "I call lies on the last one!"

Hinata giggled while the other two girls agreed with less audible nods.

"Is that so?" Hinata said. "If that's the consensus then I guess it's cheers for me."

"Great!" Ino heaved as she tipped onto her back. "Hah! I've finally got one of your li'l games Hinata-tannn. I thin' my luck is turnin'!"

"Heh," Temari gave a lazy snorted. "About time. I've been waiting to see this little princess take a little sip."

Hinata only raised her glass almost ceremoniously. She held it out and Sakura gave their glasses a small _clink_. Sakura giggled and smiled to Hinata.

Hinata smiled back and closed her eyes as she took a gulp from her cup. The burn of something a little dryer than she would have liked left a harsher sting in the back of her throat than the wine. A trail of something hot was left and Hinata started coughing. It was a pungent taste.

Temari, sympathetically started to pat Hinata's back. Ino held her stomach as she laughed and only took the glass from Hinata's hands.

"I think there was a good reason why you made it so hard for us to guess your lies." Temari said.

"I think this should be enou' sake for us! I'm happy now-," Ino managed between her drunken chortling. "I got your cup now!"

Sakura giggled lightly and took in the last of her _sake_ before handing her glass over. Hinata wiped her mouth, her coughing fit only just subsiding to small breaths. She cleared her throat a few times and thankfully looked at Temari.

There was a _ping _from Sakura's direction and Sakura jumped a little from her seat on the floor. She started to giggle a little at her own actions and reached into her pant pocket. Ino was half sprawled on the table having stopped mid clean up and had decided to pass out instead. Temari, too, looked a little heavy lidded. Her head lulled a just a little over Hinata's shoulder, and once it made contact, she was completely out.

Patting the older woman on the head, Hinata gently lifted her head up so that it would be easier to get up. Putting one arm over her shoulder, Hinata lifted the two of them and started dragging Temari back to her room. Temari was definitely heavier than she looked, and Hinata wanted to ask Sakura for help. But seeing as the girl laughed quietly to herself, body laying carelessly on the floor, Hinata doubted she could carry her own weight, much less someone else's – at least in a drunken state.

Ino had been a little easier to carry back to her room. The girl flailed more, but at least she weighed perhaps three quarters of what Temari felt like. But when she went to get Sakura, the girl was no longer there on the floor. Instead, she was back where the little kitchen area was supposed to be. The glasses had been placed in the sink and the extra bottle of _sake_ still remained on the table. Hinata wasn't too sure what to do with it so she'd left it.

"Hiii-nata-chan," Sakura slurred when Hinata came up beside her.

Sakura, unable to contain a small fit of giggles began to helplessly lean against Hinata. Hinata caught Sakura in her arms and lifted the girl to her feet, Sakura's face about as pink as her hair.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" Hinata said softly.

Sakura grinned.

"My friends are so funny," Sakura said. "The one that didn't wake up till noon is fine'ly in Sappo'o!"

Hinata must have also started feeling the effects of the alcohol because despite failing to see the hilarity, she found herself laughing a little along with Sakura.

"Alright Sakura-chan," Hinata started. "We should get you back to your room."

"Oh really Hinata-chan?" Sakura giggled. "Oh, are you coming too?"

Hinata slowly lead Sakura to her room, one steady hand at her back. Sakura giggled the whole way, even saying incoherent and nonsensical words. When Hinata finally reached Sakura's room, it didn't take long for Sakura to also fall completely asleep. As soon as Sakura was through the doors, it took a certain amount of maneuvering in order to be sure she didn't fall face first into the desk.

Hinata, feeling her face a little flushed, was also tired by the end. Fanning herself with one hand, she managed to get Sakura under her covers. Leaving Sakura's room, Hinata closed the door behind herself. She'd left a glass of water for each of the girls to drink when they'd finally woken up. She figured that there was bound to be some hangovers and headaches in the morning.

To get back to her room, Hinata needed to walk to the other end of the common room. Sakura and her room were the farthest from each other, Temari's being the closest to Hinata. While walking back to her room, Hinata didn't realize how quiet their little boarding house could be. The past few hours had been spent with laughter, cheers, and drinking games. The silence was odd. But in the silence, Hinata could finally hear the buzzing of a phone that had been left in the middle of the floor.

As soon as Hinata walked over to check, the buzzing had stopped. A little pink handheld phone sat abandoned in the middle of either the cleaning up or goofing around. But Hinata recognized the little pink phone to be Sakura's – at least judging by the color scheme. There was a _ping_ as the phone's screen came to lite.

'_6 missed calls_' it read.

Hinata was surprised. Had that all been in just the last half hour? She figured she should return the phone to Sakura and made a bee line for her room. But she was startled when it began to buzz right in her palms. She'd almost dropped it, her fingers clumsily trying to keep hold. But with a tight grip, Hinata managed to grasp it just before it completely slipped through her fingers.

"Hello…?" A muffled voice came from the receiver.

Hinata jumped. She must have pressed the answer button on accident.

"Hello?" The voice sounded sterner. "Sakura?"

Hinata winced, figuring that whoever was on the other end would be – if not already – worried about Sakura if they weren't told anything. But usually Hinata would have just left the situation be. It wasn't her place to answer a drunk girls phone, even if it was a persistent caller. There definite signs that the alcohol was having some kind of effect on her. Hesitantly, Hinata lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hello…" She said, a small tremor in her voice. "Um, I'm Sakura-chan's… friend."

There was a pause. The other end was silent.

"Hello…?" Hinata tried again.

"You're her friend?" The voice sounded male. Male and skeptical.

"Yes," Hinata said. "I live with her…"

Another pause.

"I see." The voice said. There seemed to be no emotion in it, something blank and dull sounding. "Is she there?"

Hinata swallowed.

"She…" Hinata stopped herself. "We, had a few drinks and-,"

"I know. She was telling me." The voice cut in. "Did she pass out?"

"Yes… She's asleep now. Ah…" Hinata felt a little intimidated by the lack of empathy in the voice at the other end. It felt like being questioned for a crime. "I made sure to put her to bed. She should be fine now."

There was the silence again.

"I could tell her to call you in the morning." Hinata offered. "Can I ask who this is?"

No response.

"Hello…?" Hinata said into the phone.

A faint breath could be heard on the other end of the line. A small murmur.

"Excuse me?" Hinata's eyes squinted as she tried to hear what the person on the other end was saying. "Hel…?"

"Tell her Sasuke called."

The line went dead. Hinata dropped the phone.

* * *

**. . .**

* * *

_Sake: An alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice. It has an alcoholic percentage of about 16 percent.  
Kanpai: Cheers _

_All reviews are very much appreciated! Even anonymous ones._


	4. 1-3: First Nights

**. . .**

* * *

**1.3: First Nights**

* * *

The worst thing about waking up with a hangover are the ungodly headaches. The worst thing about waking up with people with hangovers are the complaints about the headaches. Sentiments could not be truer as Hinata found herself cooking breakfast for three not-feeling-too-good girls sitting with their heads flattened to the island counter. Hinata didn't mind cooking, in fact she was used to handling herself with a pot and stove. But cooking without neither a pot nor a stove pose a great problem – anytime really – this morning especially.

"Is breakfast ready yet?" Someone groaned.

"Yes, yes," Hinata cooed gently.

She felt like a mother hen and her chicks. Setting down three small bowls of rice porridge, Hinata felt quite content with herself. On such short notice, finding a rice cooker was a miracle in its self; especially when she'd found that she had barely grabbed enough money to buy the groceries.

The girls hungrily spooned what was in their bowls as if etiquette took second to curing the aching drumming at their temples. Each had already downed a glass or two of water by the time they'd finished with their breakfast. Ino was a girl of many talents as she managed to place her bowl into the sink while looking completely asleep. Sakura and Temari did their best to get off their stools without fumbling, Hinata in the end took their bowls for them.

"Thanks for the breakfast, Hyuuga-chan," Temari said patting Hinata gently on the back. The two other girls echoed her words and Ino let out a yawn and stretched out her hands.

"Kami, my head…" Sakura groaned. Her bubblegum hair fluffed and stuck around her head every which way.

"You all seemed to fall asleep just fine, though." Hinata giggled pouring Sakura another glass of water.

Sakura took the glass gratefully and downed half the cup in one slugging gulp. Temari had finally managed to pull herself off her stool and stood balancing her weight on the counter top. Ino didn't make as much effort to keep herself upright, she slouched and rested a cheek on the palm of her hand, yawning. Hinata half leaned her back onto the marble behind her, arms crossed as she watched her roommates try and get over a night of too much drinking.

"Are you guys all right to be walking anywhere outside?" Hinata asked, amused.

"Of course." Ino waved her hand and gave a lazy, half quirked smile. "Just give me an hour or two."

"An hour or two? Might as well say goodnight now." Temari joked. At least she tried to act the most nonchalant of the three, but truth was she was the worst when it came to hangovers.

Sakura had finished her glass, and rubbed it between her palms just playing with it. Heaving a long breath that brought her shoulders up, then down, she slowly slid herself off the stool. Rubbing her temples, she silently shuffled her feet to the bathroom door. For a while, she just stood there, one hand against the frame. Then, Sakura managed to get herself inside and start the bath.

* * *

"It's April!" Ino screamed. "How can it still be this frigid in April?"

It had warmed since that morning, but Hinata still wore her winter coat and scarf. There was no snow and the sun was shining brightly as the girls stepped off the train. The station was just a few blocks from the entrance to the university. Assuming what their landlord, Tsunade, had said was true, Hokkaido University was closer to their boarding house than a launder – though not by much.

The people walking along the streets ranged from older couples taking walks to young children as they screamed and played, enjoying the last of their spring vacation. It was a pleasant scenery with song birds chirping within the barren branches of trees that lined the main pathway into the university. Hinata had seen awesome pictures of the very same road in the fall with leaves of every shade in the sunset. While this was a stark contrast (there being no leaves at all, it was still beautiful none the less.

Temari looked down to her phone, she had pulled up a map of the campus and did her best to make out exactly where everything was. Once everyone had gotten ready after breakfast, they all agreed that it would be best to familiarize themselves before classes began the next day. It felt like being lead into the forest of buildings of Tokyo without the ability to speak Japanese. The map reading skills of the girls was perhaps equated to that. Several times, they found that they were not exactly in the correct portion of campus.

Sakura, a few times, would turn to ask someone passing by to point them in the right direction. There were few students or professors walking around. Hinata assumed that most of them were enjoying their last day of complete freedom till the summer holidays. A couple of prospective students and their families would sometimes join their small group, asking the girls for advice on being admitted. A common question were whether they had used tutors to help them with the entrance exam and what their intended majors were.

The children of the families all had diverse personalities. A few were passive, yet with a very cunning gaze that would shoot from one end of their vision to the other. A couple seemed outgoing and a little nervous to be asking help from a stranger while others were bashful and simply allowed their parents to make inquiries.

Three past noon, the girls found themselves – unintentionally – at the front gates again. Having found the essential department buildings, Ino and Temari both expressed how tired they were and suggested that they head back to the boarding house.

"I'm a little scared to see what is going to happen to us tomorrow," Ino laughed.

"Well, we were also mostly alone," Sakura said. "It might be easier tomorrow when there are other people who attend the same classes as us going as well."

"Yeah, just follow the masses. At least we found where our departments are _supposed _to be." Temari said.

The girls were walking down the road to get to the train station. Just a bit away from their destination, Sakura stopped and looked at a little shop at the side of the road. Hinata stopped along with her.

"Are you hungry Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked.

Temari and Ino both stopped in their tracks after realizing that Sakura nor Hinata were no longer following them. Hinata saw the sign in the door's window claiming that they carried a _katsu curry _special. The blinds were shut, yet the hours said they were open. A small makeshift awning kept most of the front clean from any residue from snow or bird feces.

"I guess we could use for a bit of something to eat." Temari said walking to the door.

Grabbing the handle, she opened it and stepped in. The little restaurant was smaller than what it looked on the outside and dimly lit. There was one table on both the left and right side of the shop, seeming like either one could barely seat three people. The walls all were painted a deep moss green, a color that blended with the dirty green carpet while few traditional paintings were hung crooked on the walls. In the back stood an old man, his hair long and grey as they fell like a mane alongside his wrinkled cheeks. He was hefty with large boulder like hands and feet. He held some kind of magazine of _hentai, _lazily leaning against the wall crossing one foot over the other. At noticing the girls walking in, his demeanor completely changed as the magazine seemed to suddenly disappear somewhere through the door behind him. He took a low bow and gave a large toothy smile.

"Welcome, girls, to Jiraiya's Kitchen; I'm Jiraiya!" He bellowed. "I serve everything and anything so long as you can call it comfort food."

Temari raised a brow and had half a mind to slowly take her and the other girls out of there. But she just slowly nodded.

"Do we just take a seat anywhere?" She asked, distrustful.

"Anywhere you'd like to, girls." Jiraiya motioned for the girls to sit with one of his large hands.

As Temari made the first move to take her seat, Jiraiya had disappeared into the back only to come back with four menus. The girls had taken a seat on the right side of the shop and gave their thanks as Jiraiya set the menus and several cups of tea down in front of them.

The girls spent the first few minutes in silence as they looked the menu over. When Jiraiya came back, he had a notepad and pen in hand.

"So have you girls decided?" He asked.

They looked at one another, not a word of hesitance.

"I believe so," Sakura said.

"Alright then," Jiraiya boomed.

After they had had their orders taken, Jiraiya once again disappeared into the back. The girls quietly sipped their tea. There was a wall of silence that seemed to build between them. Realizing that up until then, the girls had not had a real conversation void of customaries or alcohol – which by one stand point meant that they all were off to a terrible start as roommates. Sakura stared into her cup as Ino examined her nails. Temari peered between the gaps in the closed blinds to the street. And Hinata kept her head low, peering up every once and a while to stare at them.

This would be their first _real _meal together, and the thought seemed to have dawned on them as they all looked up to meet each other's gazes. Ino and Sakura seemed to both make attempts to say something, though neither one was completely coherent. Then together:

"You go first… No really… I said you…"

They stared at each other, or stared down each other. Temari and Hinata just looked between the two and started to laugh. It was hard to not see the obvious similarities and how they contrasted with each other in the oddest complementing way that seemed to fuel an instant rivalry between the both of them. An electrical current seemed to bridge the space between their eyes.

"Wow, you two sure are a lively pair."

The girls looked up to find Jiraiya already standing with four large plates of food. He carefully set each down and warned them to not burn themselves.

"Go ahead and try them, I always like to see what my customers think on their first impressions." Jiraiya encouraged. "Go on, try some."

The girls looked to him, a smile on his face that seemed so expectant.

"_Itadakimasu_," the girls said together.

Then, each one slowly took their spoons and dug into their plates, taking small bites at first. But once the food hit their tongues, none could resist at least a smile. Sakura and Ino let out loud sighs in amazement. Temari nodded, not at all expecting the food to taste the way it did. Hinata loved how creamy the sauce was, the meat being just tender enough, and the carrots not being over cooked. Nothing was too salty or too bland, there was a good balance.

"This is really good," Temari said, sounding a little disbelieving.

Jiraiya ran a hand through his mane of grey.

"Well, of course it is," He said comically. He laughed. "I'm happy you girls like it. Do you girls happen to be students at Hokkaido U?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Ino responded, her mouth half full.

Jiraiya gave a certain kind of look. It was one where his head dropped down so that his chin was at an angle, eyes staring strangely up at you. His fingers were shaped to an L at his chin, a strange smile that seemed to say 'I know all' set across his face.

"My eyes know, you girls look like a bunch of Hokkaido University gals." Jiraiya responded, his voice seeming to have taken on a satirical change.

"Perv," Temari said coolly while taking another bite from her plate.

Jiraiya looked at her, bemused.

"What, do you think I'm just some creep old man who prays on college girls with nice bodies to come into my shop looking for good, top quality dishes? Is that what you're accusing me of?" He continued to use his amusing affectation, causing the other girls to laugh just a little.

Temari just looked at him, not sparing a bit of emotion.

"That sounds almost like a confession." She said pointedly. Her spoon made another dive for a bite of rice.

"And what do you think, little miss?" Jiraiya asked. He patted the back of Hinata's chair.

"Oh, it's very good." Hinata said, looking up to him a little startled.

He paused and stared at her for a minute. Hinata, feeling slightly uncomfortable turned her gaze back to her plate. Jiraiya just laughed.

"You have some striking eyes, miss." He told her. "Well, if you girls need anything I'll just be in the back."

Then, once more he disappeared, leaving the girls to enjoy their food.

"He is one strange old man, right?" Sakura said, a bit unsure if she should bring it up.

"Creep I say," Temari said coolly.

"I'll say." Ino agreed. "But he sure makes some good food. So I guess we can't complain."

"Good food or not," Temari said between bites, "That's just how he lures people into his little side road shack."

"It's on the main road, no one can really miss this place." Sakura commented to herself.

"Lighten up Temari," Ino said, "enjoy the food and we'll get our asses out of here as soon as possible, yeah?"

"Whatever…"

Temari just continued to eat the food without any further suspicions. Ino dug into her plate with a kind of animal like grace that made hasty eating look unconventionally attractive. There was a piece of rice stuck to her bottom lip, but none of the girls – nor Ino – really took notice. Hinata watched as Sakura ate, and she noticed that it was similar to how Sakura seemed to have started to drink the night before. There was hesitance when Sakura scooped up her food, and almost a strain look in her eyes as she brought it to her mouth. It looked like she were thinking of exactly how to eat, like there was a specific way that she should eat. It wasn't too noticeable, but Hinata would be caught staring. Sakura, feeling someone's gaze on her, slowly turned her head and faced Hinata.

"Is there something on my face?" Sakura asked.

Quickly she reached up to wipe the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

"No, no…" Hinata said frantic, her head dipped. "There isn't anything. I was just… wondering about the time and must have stared off."

"Oh," Sakura shrugged. Then, she thought about it herself and said, "What is the time now?"

"Can't be too much past three right?" Ino offered. "Why are you asking us, don't you have your own phone?"

Sakura blushed sheepishly.

"No, I left it back in my room." She defended. "I woke up this morning and it was all out of battery. I didn't plug it in last night."

Hinata froze mid chew. No one noticed the moment of hesitation. She swallowed and covered her mouth as she remembered the events of the night before. It was ridiculous, Hinata thought to herself, that she would feel so flustered by a simple phone call. It hadn't been addressed to her and the voice on the other end seemed to care less who she was, why should she care at all who could have possibly been at the other end of the line? Names were not given to only one person, she had assured herself the night before, there had to be a couple of other Hinata in the world out there. But it did stay on her mind that she hadn't yet told Sakura about the phone calls.

When the girls had all finished their meals, Jiraiya seemed to come out just at the right time to hand them the bill. The food was dirt cheap, the girls had no complaints when splitting the check. They thanked the old man and walked out. There were a few more people on the streets as it seemed that it was the prime time for workers to come off shift. As they walked alongside the many others making their way to the station, Hinata and Sakura found themselves lagging a little farther behind.

"Sakura-chan?" Hinata tried to gain Sakura's attention.

Sakura turned to look at Hinata.

"Yes?" she said.

"Oh…" Hinata started. "About last night…"

Sakura laughed, "Did I ever properly thank you for taking care of us?"

"It isn't really about that."

"Well, thank you anyways."

"You're welcome," Hinata said quietly. She bit her lip and glanced to the side for a moment. "It's about your phone. After I got you all into bed. Someone called."

"Really?" Sakura said.

"He said just to say that Sasuke called." Hinata paused. "He seemed worried about you."

The two girls stared at each other. Somewhere in the mass of people, they seemed to have lost Ino and Temari in the crowd. They didn't think much of it, everyone knew how to get back to the boarding house. But while waiting on the platform, Sakura smiled and giggled under her breath.

"Did he really?" She asked.

Hinata didn't know what she was asking about. Did she want to know if this man named Sasuke called? Or did she want to know if he really seemed worried? Either way, Hinata responded with the positive and this seemed to make Sakura's grin grow a wider. A small pink blush rose to her cheeks.

"Tell me Hinata-chan," Sakura said. She looked up and her pink hair began to fly all around her, the train was arriving. It came to a stop and her hair flattened down. Looking back to Hinata, she had a playful gleam in her eyes, a mischievous lift in her smile. "Should I call him back or let him wait?"

* * *

"I'm glad you've settled in fine."

"Yeah," Hinata said quietly into the receiver of her phone. "Do you have to go now Neji-nii?"

"I do Hinata-sama." Neji said a little playfully from the other end of the line. "It's late in Japan right now, you should get some sleep."

"I will," Hinata lied. "I'm happy you called."

"Of course," he responded. "Go to bed now Hinata."

"Alright…"

"I mean it," Neji said more sternly.

Hinata giggled.

"Okay, I will. Study hard Neji-nii." Hinata said. She waited for him to hang up first before hanging up herself.

Hinata stood out on the porch, her winter coat wrapped firmly around her, Hinata had thought that she would get some fresh air before bed. It was originally meant to clear her mind so that she could back into her room and fall right to sleep, but instead, all the early spring air did was wake her up more. While getting the unexpected call from her brother was a pleasant surprise and had put her a little more at ease, going back in now would be no better than staying out there. Ino and Temari had immediately crashed once they all had reached their boarding house.

Sakura and Hinata had both just drank some water and flipped through the television channels. Every once and a while someone would ask to stay on one station a little longer to see what was going on, in the end, the two had settled to watch a television showing of all the last three Star Wars movies.

"Aren't you cold?"

Hinata stood immediately at hearing the voice behind her. Sakura was standing at the door in her pajamas and winter coat. She smiled and stepped out onto the porch, arms crossed trying to retain her body heat.

"Sakura-chan."

"You never seem cold, tell me, what's your secret?" Sakura asked playfully.

"You aren't asleep?" Hinata ignored the original question to ask her own. She'd thought everyone had fallen asleep.

"Well I'm out here right?" Sakura laughed. The wind blew and she shivered. "You should come back in, it's freezing."

Hinata smiled and shrugged.

"I haven't really been bothered by the cold for a while." She said. "I just don't feel it, I guess."

"Lucky," Sakura said. "Why are you out here all alone?"

"My brother called, I didn't want to wake anyone." Hinata responded.

"You did mention you had a brother," Sakura nodded.

Hinata laughed.

"You were sober enough to remember that much."

"Oh hush." Sakura blushed but laughed along. "I actually have wonderful memory I'll have you know."

Then they fell into silence again. Hinata placed her hands in her pockets in time with a sigh that made her shoulders rise and fall. Sakura took a few steps forward and leaned against the railing. Watching her for a moment, Hinata went to join her.

"I called him," Sakura said almost sadly. "He leaves me six messages and all he has to say is 'good to hear.'"

Immediately, Hinata knew Sakura was talking about the boy from the phone call. And Hinata could perfectly imagine the deep set and huskier voice of the boy speaking in an indifferent and detached tone. Like an automaton, no feeling or opinion. Bleak and completely uncaring, though the actions seemed to tell otherwise.

"But I'm used to it," Sakura sighed. "He's kind of always been like that since middle school."

Hinata saw the way Sakura talked about him. There was a glimmer and dreaminess in her eyes. Her voice also got softer, like talking to a sleeping baby. She rested her chin in her palm and pouted, but immediately laughed.

Then something clicked.

"Is this the same guy you always talk about?" Hinata asked.

"I think I might be a little obsessed." Sakura said more to herself than to Hinata. "I told him he should call me later because I needed to take a bath. Really, I'm just out here with you."

Hinata wanted to say something, but felt like Sakura didn't really come out to talk. So she remained silent and let Sakura stand there. The two of them were there together and looked into the dark that was in front of them. It wasn't long before Sakura decided it was too cold to be outside and opted to go back in. Hinata, feeling slightly uncomfortable, said that she would stay out there for a while longer. At first, Sakura was insistent that they go back in together. But ultimately, Hinata was left alone on the porch.

In her head, she counted to one hundred, slowly. She even waited an extra ten seconds after reaching the number before turning to go back inside. Quietly, she shut the door, careful not to wake anyone. A mixture of both Ino and Sakura's light snores could be heard though their closed doors.

It was otherwise silent. The common room was empty, dully colored furniture in their needed places. Alone, Hinata made her way to the restroom. She turned on the water for the bath. Placing her phone on the windowsill on top of the tub, she plugged it in along with all the other cellphones. It wasn't the safest place to charge a phone they had all realized, but the lack of outlets in their boarding house was amazing. So while it wasn't the best spot, there wasn't really anywhere else they all could charge their phones.

She stripped off her coat and clothes. Leaving herself bare in the steam accumulating. When the tub had completely filled she turned off the faucet and slowly stuck one foot in. She was careful not to slip. But when one of the phones started ringing, she was startled. Forgetting care and grace, she lost balance and crashed into the tub. Water splashed over the side and she hit her head against the edge. Perhaps it was payback for the night before, how she was the only one this morning who didn't wake up with a throbbing headache. Because now she certainly felt one.

Rubbing her head, Hinata let the phone ring. She didn't want to check whose it was, her phone, Temari's, Ino's, Sakura's… all she could really focus on was the pulsing pain at the back of her skull. She checked to make sure there was no blood, and thank Kami there wasn't. A few moments later, the ringing stopped. Slowly sinking into the water, she closed her eyes trying to forget her clumsy accident.

Until the ringing started again. Hinata's eyes shot open.

Bubbles rose to the surface of the water when she groaned. Her eyes rolled up as she stared the line of phones on the edge of the window sill. One of them had caused her immense pain which she did not appreciate at all. But she decided to ignore it and continued with her bath. Soaking her hair, the insistent ring of the phone continued. It would sometimes be muffled through the medium of the water, then come back to blaring life when she exited.

After that, it didn't seem to ring again. She stepped out from the tub and pulled the drain. The water swirled and disappeared into the pipes. Drying herself with a towel, she wiped the mirror clear of precipitation from her bath. Examining herself, she swore she could see a bump forming in the back of her head. The phone rang again.

Feeling a little annoyed, Hinata snapped her attention to the window sill. She strut over to see whose phone was ringing. But whose she saw, she half expected and half dread. A little pink phone on the corner was lit in life, "_Incoming call from Uchiha Sasuke_".

She should have left it there to ring. She should have just picked up her things, went back to her room, and pretend like she never saw it ringing. In fact, she should have just rejected the call and save the whole boarding house the noise. Or better yet, she should have brought it to Sakura. That would have been the more practical thing to do, bring it to the person who was being called.

And yet she found her hand reaching out to grab it. Reached out to grab it and watched her own needle like fingers press the 'receive' button.

"H-hello…?" Her own voice betrayed her. Stuttering.

"Sakura." The cold and detachedness of his voice was surreal, unhuman.

"She's asleep…" Hinata said coolly, trying her best to hide the tremble in her voice.

"Oh."

The voice didn't sound disappointed, it didn't sound sad. There was no hint of happiness or expectancy. She couldn't even tell if there had been any inflection at all in the way he spoke. It was monotone and bored.

"Tell her that Sasuke called."

"This is Hinata."

Silence.

There was a silence and a heavy feeling of instant regret filled her throat. She shouldn't have answered the phone. She really shouldn't have answered the phone. Her hands shook, and her mouth felt dry. It was wrong of her, this wasn't her place to do something like that. She and Sakura weren't even that close of friends.

"Hina-…!"

She hung up.

Immediately, she hung up the phone and let her hand slide to her sides. She felt sick and dirty. Wiping her face with a hand, she heard the phone start ringing again. Hastily, she put the phone back on the window sill and rejected the call. She picked up her things and made her way to the door. But the phone rang again.

She paused.

She looked back.

Her mind spun, and she thought about it again. She should have left. She knew she should have just left. But something in her, something from a deep and dark and lonely part of her pulled her toward it. And she picked up the phone again.

"Hello…?" Hinata said slowly.

The line was silent. If she listened closely, the faint sounds of small breaths could be heard on the other end. But it was silent.

"Hinata…?" the voice said after a few moments.

She hesitated.

"H-how…" she paused. "H-how are you… S-Sasuke-kun?"

He chuckled.

"You still stutter?"

She found herself blushing.

"How are you?" She asked again.

"I've been… all right?" He said. "How have you been?"

She lightly squeezed the phone. How was she supposed to react? To a boy she barely knew and one she hardly could remember. A boy that haunted her for days… months… she would sometimes unconsciously think about him, years after the last time she saw him. And now she could hear his voice, distorted and mixed by static. She could hear his voice but not see his face. The two didn't match. What she imagined of him and what she was hearing, the two didn't fit together. The voice of a man and the image of a boy.

"I've been good… I guess?" She finally responded.

"That's," he stopped, "good…?"

The tightening feeling in her chest constricted her breath and made it more difficult to breath.

"You-…"

They had spoken at the same time. And in their flustered state, both immediately stopped. Neither offered the other to go first, neither spoke up first. Time felt like it zoomed, stopped, and slowed all at the same time in the seconds that they decided to let the silence travel down the line.

"You go to Hokkaido?" One of them finally said.

"You should get to bed." The other responded instead.

"Okay."

"I see."

And with heavy reluctance, the line went dead.

* * *

**. . .**

* * *

_Katsu Curry: A kind of curry served with breaded pork cutlet  
Hentai: A Japanese word literally meaning "pervert" or "perverted", and is also a genre of pornographic Japanese comics_

_Rushed, yet not. This is the end of First Nights, I hope you've enjoyed it. Please continue to support._

_All reviews are appreciated!_


	5. 0-2: Interlude

**_NOTICE: _**_There will be interludes between each "chapter" and take place before the current timeline of events. Next update will continue where the story left off._

* * *

**0.2: Interlude**

* * *

_Wasn't it obvious?_

People don't always do what is obvious. They do what is compulsive and tugging in the moment. It's natural and necessary for survival. Back in the days of primal behavior it was either do or don't, and when faced with moments of terror or strong emotions, doing nothing often led to injury, suffering, and/or death.

It can be called a fight or flight response. That feeling of adrenaline as it roars through your veins, making your pupils dilate for wider vision and heart pound. It is a response that helps you live – that makes you live.

But that wasn't me.

I was not the kid that took risks and jumped off the bridge because all the other kids did. I didn't wander into the corners of the classroom that I didn't know. I would never be seen talking to a stranger in any situation. I was timid and mousy, never meeting eyes with the person talking to me. I couldn't walk to school alone like some kids in my class, I always had to drive with my mother. And when I had reached an age where it no longer was "acceptable", a boy from a few houses away offered to take me.

His "subtle" shows of affect for me disturbed me because of their lack of subtleness. But no matter how hard I pouted and cried, my mother refused to take me to school any longer.

"Sakura-chan, why do you always ignore me?"

Even after a year of taking the same road with him, I could never get used to his closeness. It was better than before, and for months I had been calculating in my head the exact words that I needed in order to get my point across. And I had concluded that with him, there was no _best _way. It was either say it direct or be silent, Naruto was not the kind of kid that understood hidden meaning and undertone.

"Because I don't feel comfortable with you around."

I told it to him as caringly as I could. Which turned out to have been about as much as a droplet of dew in an ocean of leaves. He just laughed. And I receded within myself. Wasn't it obvious that that was the exact response I didn't want? But I knew people never really were that obvious, just to me. I was always calculating, thinking, over analyzing everything anyone did around me. I never wanted to really understand anything, it just all unraveled for me.

Like watching as a slide of a movie moved from left to right. Everything, even if it had been unclear before, revealed itself like a picture book in front of me. I was always told I was smart. People always said that I had a keen eye and bright mind. I knew I was smart. But I never asked to be.

"Then I guess I'll just stay close enough till you get used to me."

And that was Naruto. He was the carefree class clown that others loved to poke fun of, but secretly pitied. A kid orphaned at such a young age and taken under the wing of his godfather, the town's young hermit and chief of police. Only someone heartless would choose to fully ostracize him. Sure, Naruto had his worries, everyone does. But for him, he could push and shake them off better than anyone I had ever seen. Maybe that was why I couldn't fully hate him. I also secretly wished I could just live life so impulsively like he did.

It was the end of summer holidays and that morning in my seventh year the halls were in abuzz with rumors. Someone from our class had said that the old couple living down the street had had a moving truck stationed outside of it all weekend. And that someone also claimed that there were now two boys living in that house, one who was supposed to start in our year. Eniwa was so sleepy, even little news like that seemed the most exciting of things. Even I was interested in the story. So interested even, usually when the teacher walked in we'd all take our seats like obedient children. This time the chatting and crowding continued. But all it took was a snap of the ruler to grab our attention.

"This is unlike you," the teacher had said, "Now take your seats, we have a new student here today."

Words were enough for us all to immediately take our places. In silence, the anticipation could have been felt with the slice of a knife. And it's amazing what can shoot through someone's mind in short periods of time. The moment I heard a foot step into the room, there were a million things that swept over me. Questions on how this new student would look, how he or she would act. Did this person like to play with other kids or sit in the back of the room and read a book? Would I like this new student?

A million thoughts swept over me in that first step, a million more swept over me when he turned to face the class. Average height, black hair, black eyes, angled jaw with lips closed into an indifferent line. He had his hands in his uniform pocket and he didn't make even the slightest effort to look at our class. The slouch in his back and stiffness in his knees all screamed of his reluctance to be standing up there in front of us. Maybe he thought himself better than all of us. Maybe he had stage fright.

"This is Uchiha Sasuke," the teacher said. "He will be in our class from now on. Haruno-san."

"Yes," I responded.

"Please stand up." The teacher commanded.

I did as I was told.

"Uchiha-san, your seat will be right behind Haruno-san, if you have any questions when a teacher is not around, please refer to her, she is the class representative."

"Of course," he breathed. Then halfheartedly, he gave a bow.

"Please take your seat, Uchiha-san."

Without a sense of urgency, he walked down the aisle. His head remained low, eyes down. A dragging stride, he walked like trudging through snow. He only lifted his gaze once as he past me with stony eyes. My breath hitched.

"You may take your seat now, Haruno-san."

I had not realized that even after he had dropped his bag and sat down, I was still standing. Sheepish, I took my seat and hoped that no one noticed that my face was furiously red. My heart pounded and my hands felt clammy. Unsure of what exactly my body was reacting to, I thought that it must have been because of how embarrassed I was. I never lost my composure as "smart little Sakura", I was too calculating to let it happen. That was what I was trying to convince myself it was.

Weeks went by. Sasuke made no moves to interact with anyone, and no one dared to approach him. He had a brooding presence and while I felt responsible for him because of my class duties, a part of me feared public rejection for my efforts. If he rejected my help, wouldn't it have made him seem even less approachable? That was the excuse I gave. Trying to catch him alone was also impossible. He came to school, and without a word he immediately left once the ending bell rang. His brother was always patiently waiting by the gates. You wouldn't have guessed that they were brothers, their personalities and facial features looked completely opposite of each other.

"Bastard."

Naruto made no effort to make the comment subtle. Sasuke took to his chair like he heard nothing.

"Bastard…" He repeated, this time louder and more drawn out.

Sasuke, again, acted like he heard nothing. Naruto wouldn't take it. Since his entrance into our everyday lives, Naruto had made it clear to me how he didn't like the attitude that Sasuke exerted. He had ranted to me on our walks to school how he didn't like that cool and aloof personality. I never interjected, even if I thought it was unwise of Naruto to show such open annoyance. I could understand Naruto. Sasuke was someone who was hard to read, and I originally felt put off by that. A person I couldn't understand in the slightest.

"Bastard," Naruto said one more time. His voice started low, then rose at the end and left with an inflection. There was no doubt that he did it on purpose to seem obnoxious. "Bas-…"

"A child born out of wedlock." Sasuke interrupted.

Naruto blinked.

"What…?"

Sasuke closed his work book.

"Bastard," he started, "is a child born out of wedlock. I assumed because you were repeating it so many times, you wanted someone to define it for you."

Naruto's eyes squinted. Next thing anyone knew, he was leaning against Sasuke's desk, one hand on the back of his chair leaning in to stare.

"I wasn't asking for a definition_ Bastard_." Naruto growled.

"Could have fooled me, dead last." Sasuke coolly shot back.

"Dead… _last_…?"

Sasuke met Naruto's glare with an equal amount of defiance.

"I figured that if you're insistent on calling me 'bastard', I should return the favor." Sasuke explained. "Dead last fits. Don't you have the lowest grades in the class?"

Naruto snorted.

"_Everyone_ knows that, bastard."

Sasuke didn't respond. There was a tension in the room, and if I allowed it to have gone on any longer, I was sure that someone else would have intervened.

"Okay, you two," I said with as much assertion as a mouse. "Teacher might be here any moment."

Naruto didn't budge. He continued to just glare at the unimpressed Sasuke.

"You should repeat yourself," Sasuke said. "Maybe then the dead last will respond."

"Why you…!"

Naruto tackled him. There were some screams as a desk or two fell to the floor in the scuffle. Naruto had Sasuke pinned to the floor for a moment. But in a swing, Naruto came down flattened. The two struggled with each other. In a matter of seconds, they had managed to roll all over the floor, one falling onto the other with fist held at their shoulders.

Unsure of what to do in the frenzy, when the boys rolled closer to me, I panicked and screamed. I hit one on the head. Hard.

The teacher arrived soon after and demanded to know what had happened. I lied and said the one of the boys had tripped and fallen over the other, I wasn't questioned.

As class rep, I followed both of them to the nurse and waited with them while the nurse was out on her lunch break. They sat on separate beds across from each other. Sasuke sat slouching like he always did, eyes on the floor. Naruto was nursing his head with an icepack.

"Eh, you hit hard Sakura-chan," Naruto whined at me.

"You gave me no other choice, I wasn't even given time to see who I was hitting." I defended myself.

I looked through the top cabinets, I'd been to the nurse's office enough with other students to know where the gauze and pain pills were.

"You could have at least timed it better," Naruto continued to complain. "That way you would have hit him instead of me."

A scoff was the only reaction Sasuke offered. I walked over with a few bandages in my hand. I pulled over a chair and sat between the two, facing only slightly more towards Sasuke. I was hesitant. It was weird and completely unlike the usual me. Lying so suddenly to the teacher without another thought. It wasn't like me, and I was okay with it.

"Here…" I offered the bandages.

Despite the mess the two had made in the classroom, Sasuke managed to come out looking like he only just gotten out of bed. His hair was a mess and his shirt was untucked. I didn't know if he had maybe gotten a bruise somewhere or a cut, but I wasn't going to ask.

"Sakura-chan, my head hurts." Naruto moaned.

"What did you expect me to do?" I felt defensive. "I could have gotten the teacher and told them about how _you_ started a fight."

"Me?" Naruto acted surprised. "He provoked me!"

Sasuke turned his head only slightly.

"Hush," I scolded. "You provoked him first. Just be glad that I didn't say anything."

"If he hadn't called me a d_ead last_…"

"You called him a bastard first." I reminded him.

Naruto's lips turned into a downward pout.

"Now you're taking his side," Naruto groaned. "Sakura-chan, don't let his good looks fool you."

I glared at Naruto.

"You seem better now, why don't you go back to class." I told him.

"Sakura-chan…!"

"If you have a mind to complain so much…"

He only pouted, again, and got up to leave. All to my surprise, I never thought he would actually listen to me. But he did and it left me alone in a room with Sasuke. It left me in a silence where the sound of my heart was louder than the instant ticking of the clock on the wall.

"I'm sorry about Naruto." I finally found myself saying.

Sasuke didn't react. He just continued to stare at the floor. I swallowed, hoping it would take down my feeling of intimidation.

"But, you shouldn't let this affect your view on him." I said. "He just doesn't always think things through. He's really emotional and loud mouthed."

Sasuke didn't look like he was listening at all.

"He isn't the brightest in the world," I continued. "But don't hold any of it against him. At heart he isn't too bad."

His sullen face didn't even twitch. If he was thinking about my words, he didn't show it. In fact, it looked like he could have cared less about what I thought. There was a feeling of distance that he seemed to keep with everyone, but he didn't say anything as I found myself staring. Thinking about it in that moment, now that Naruto had mentioned it, he wasn't bad looking. Far from it, actually. Strong jawed, sharp lined in his nose and a good profile. My face was growing hotter.

"I can go back now," he said suddenly.

I was taken out of my momentary thoughts and stood, flustered.

"Oh, of course." I said, trying to hold in a blush.

He didn't say anything more and we just left the nurse's office, he was sure to walk at least a pace ahead.

No longer than the next day, when Sasuke came into the room, he took his seat as usual. Naruto, beside him grunted. It didn't seem like the two would get along, neither bothered to acknowledge that the other was there. Even if I had told Naruto that morning that he shouldn't pick a fight with him, I didn't think it would have been to that extent. I looked onto them in worry, hoping that the silence wasn't a precedent to another brawl.

"I'm sorry…"

The words surprised both of us. Sasuke had his head resting on the back of his hands, looking aloof as usual. But the voice was unmistakably his.

"What…?" Naruto sat straight in his chair.

Sasuke took a glance over to Naruto and sighed. He swung himself so that he could face him.

"I said I'm sorry." Sasuke said with a straight face. Eyes still void of any clear emotion. "I'm apologizing."

Naruto still stared in disbelief. I couldn't quite comprehend it either. Sasuke just groaned, again.

"I'm apologizing for calling you 'dead last' yesterday." He said. Then he just went back to sitting silently. Not staring in any direction in particular.

"Oh…" Naruto looked confused. "I'm… I guess I'm sorry, too. For calling you a 'bastard'… I'm sorry."

Sasuke didn't move, nor act as if he acknowledged Naruto's apology.

"You know," Naruto continued, "I don't actually care that you called me 'dead last'. I mean, I've been called worse. It didn't really bother me."

Sasuke's head turned slightly. And he did something that none of us had really seen, he smiled. He made a scoff and smiled a little. It was only momentary, and it was gone in a blink. I questioned if it had been there, but Naruto saw it, and Naruto smiled back.

When the teacher came in, we were forced to take our normal positions. But I couldn't focus on the lesson at all. All I could think about was how confused about the entire situation I was. I was glad the two could reconcile. I was happy that another fight didn't break out. But I couldn't figure out exactly why Sasuke apologized, or why Naruto had so easily turned the other cheek. Just that morning, Naruto had been going on and on about how I was taking the side of the better looking guy and ignoring our "long friendship". I couldn't understand it at all. I couldn't understand and it was a first.

From then on, Naruto and Sasuke seemed to have taken to each other well. It used to be just Sasuke running on the track alone, or Sasuke working on his own in the back. Naruto was sure to bring Sasuke into activities in gym and always offered to partner with him for group works. And Sasuke, while painfully still aloof, would naturally accept every offer. Even in our morning walks to school, Naruto would sometimes bring up Sasuke. It didn't take long for the two to seem almost inseparable. And while Sasuke was supposed to have been my duty as class rep, Sasuke seemed to rely more on Naruto than anyone else.

I could always hear as Naruto passed a paper onto Sasuke's desk or how Sasuke would whisper for Naruto to focus back on his workbooks. Naruto was like Sasuke's best friend. I was just the girl that sat in front of him.

"Hey, Sakura-chan." Naruto had said to me one morning. "You want to come over to Sasuke's house with me after school?"

I hadn't realized the two were that close.

"Uchiha-san invited you to his house?" I asked.

"Well, no..."

"Stupid…" I chastised. "You can't just invite yourself over to someone's house."

"His mom invited me though," Naruto said. "She told me I could come over anytime I wanted to."

I crossed my arms.

"Then it's just you." I told him. "I haven't even seen Uchiha-san's mother, much less met her. And you just want to invite me over to his house? I don't think so."

"Oh, c'mon Sakura-chan. Sasuke's mom is really nice and pretty." Naruto went on. "And she makes pretty good food, too. C'mon, it'll be fun."

I gave him a skeptical look.

"If I just ask Sasuke at school, I'm sure he'll say yes!"

I didn't say anything further. Secretly, I hoped he really would. But in my mind I was sure it wouldn't happen.

But stepping into the Uchiha house felt so natural, so normal. Despite all the feelings of apprehension and awkwardly following the boys as they led the way to Sasuke's house, the warmth inside was a dire contrast to the cold of the early winter.

"I'm home." Sasuke called into the empty hall. "You two can leave your jackets on the hanger there."

Naruto and I took off our winter coats and hung them like Sasuke said. Sasuke pulled out a few extra slippers from the closet by the door and handed them to us. From a doorway down the main hall, out came a small, waddling old woman. She held her hands together in front of her stomach and wore a warm smile of welcome.

"This is my grandmother." Sasuke said coolly. "Obaa-san, this is Naruto and…"

Sasuke looked at me, eyes straining. He didn't know what to call me. He had never said my name before. We never talked. I came because Naruto asked me to, and I took it selfishly.

"I'm Haruno Sakura," I said and bowed. "I'm a classmate."

"Oh?" Sasuke's grandmother's brow raised. "Sakura… what a pretty name for a pretty girl."

I thanked her and put on the slippers Sasuke had given us. Sasuke showed us the basics of the house, where the bathroom was and the living room. They had a large television in there. Sasuke's grandfather was situated in front of it, watching the news. He turned to greet us, though not as warmly as his wife. And as we passed by the kitchen, Sauske's mother was in there washing rice in the sink. She really did look beautiful, her hair pulled back into a low ponytail. Sasuke certainly looked like his mother. We caught her when she was moving the cleaned rice over the stove and she saw us standing at the kitchen entrance.

"Oh, hello there." She said to us sweetly. "Sorry, dinner isn't ready yet. Why don't you kids play upstairs, I'll call you down when things are ready."

"Okay."

Sasuke led us through the kitchen and back into the hallway. She watched us as we left before going back to cooking. Up the stairs, there was another hall. Sasuke led us to a room at the end of the hall. There were two beds, one on either side. The tatami mats between them were bare of any dust or dirt. The beds were neat and orderly, books fit nicely in shelves with desks on the foot of both beds.

"So you share a room with your brother?" Naruto asked, taking the first step in. "Where is he, actually?"

Sasuke shrugged.

"Probably studying at the school library." He said. "He's taking university entrance exams in a week so…"

"Really?"

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded. "He wants to get a scholarship somewhere so he's been staying late on Fridays and going to the library on weekends."

"Boring…" Naruto whined.

I wanted to hush him for being so carelessly insensitive, but Sasuke didn't seem to take the comment to heart.

"So, what's there to do in your room?" Naruto asked, springing up to look around the orderly room.

"Nothing." Sasuke said matter-of-factly.

"Nothing…?" Naruto looked at him quizzically. "What do you do for fun?"

"I read."

I felt like a spectator again. It just didn't feel like I was supposed to be there. While Sasuke and Naruto were in the room, walking about and talking to each other, I just stood at the door and watched them.

"Boring! We came to your house and there isn't anything to do." Naruto complained.

"You're the ones who invited yourselves." Sasuke countered.

He had a point.

"Well don't you have any video games?" Naruto asked. "Any manga?"

"You and your video games." I found an opening to interject. "If you spent half the amount of time that you do playing video games on actually studying, you wouldn't be on the bottom of the class list."

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto whined. "You're taking his side again."

I rolled my eyes.

"Uchiha-san has nothing-…"

"Sasuke."

I stopped. Sasuke was sitting on his bed, looking at the floor again.

"I'd rather you just call me Sasuke." He said sullenly. "Or Sasuke-san if you feel uncomfortable. Just not Uchiha…"

I didn't know how to respond or react. My face felt flushed again. My heart was pounding and my fingers were clammy against my school skirt. There was a moment of silence, Naruto just seemed confused by the situation.

"Sasuke, you really need to stop confusing young girls." A voice behind me spoke.

Long black hair, black eyes, soft features. He was Sasuke's brother.

"Aniki," Sasuke said in surprise. "You're back."

"It would seem I am."

I stepped out of the way and he walked past me. Sasuke's brother definitely felt different than Sasuke did. While Sasuke often trudged while he walked, his brother strode and had a smooth hop in his step. Maybe it was just age, but Sasuke's boy-ness only seemed more apparent when in contrast to his brother.

"Mom says that dinner is almost ready, you should go clean up."

Sasuke's brother walked over to his desk and neatly put his bag into the space between his desk and bed. Grabbing a book from the shelf, he proceeded to climb onto his bed and begin reading as though none of us were really there. Aloofness must have been a common trait in the Uchiha family.

Sasuke motioned for the two of us to follow him down the stairs. I could already smell the cooked rice and dried fish. We took turns using the washroom and all headed to dining table together. Naruto and Sasuke obviously took a seat next to each other. I stayed back by the door till everyone was seated. There was only one empty chair next to Sasuke and his brother, I assumed it was for Sasuke's father. But his grandmother tugged at my sleeve and motioned for me to take it. I sat down with hesitance and just looked at my rice bowl. Even after we thanked for the meal, I just stared and watched as everyone began eating. All of a sudden, I didn't feel comfortable or welcomed anymore. Even if no one said anything, I was sure at least a few were wonder exactly what I was doing there, the awkward girl in the corner of the table.

I only reached out to take food that everyone else had eaten first, and I ate the rice slowly. While Naruto seemed to make himself right at home, asking for another bowl of rice, I could barely stomach half. I didn't engage in any conversation either. Most of the questions were very general like how school was or if we'd noticed anything interesting on the way over. Sasuke gave very monosyllabic answers while Naruto elaborated every detail he could remember, exaggerating things here and there for effect.

"Sakura-chan," Sasuke's mother addressed me. "You've hardly said anything, are you feeling okay?"

She seemed genuinely concerned and it did nothing to sedate my guilt.

"Me…?" I said as if surprised. "No, I'm feeling fine. I just don't have much to say."

"Really?" Sasuke's mother said. "Nothing interesting or new you learned?"

I didn't know how to respond. At home, my mother would ask the same things, and I would tell her the same things. We never really said anything meaningful about our days to each other and my father would rather just sit and listen to us talk. I had dealt with parents before, countless times. I always knew the right words to say to which parent because they were always parents of classmates who came for the cultural festivals or would come for a bowl of ramen in my father's shop. I never had to deal with them for long, and the questions were always general to the year rather than a specific day. They were parents who were only superficially interested in how I, the "smart little Sakura", was doing. So I always just played my part, and gave the appropriate and expected answers. But truth be told, this was the first time I'd talked to a parent inside their own home. The sad thing was, this was the first time I had ever been "invited" into someone else's home. This fact alone is what really hurt.

"Mom," Sasuke spoke up. "Don't push it."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sasuke's mother apologized. "You're right."

"It's fine really," I tried to assure her. But while I smiled, something that had twisted in me relaxed. I took a momentary glance back at Sasuke who had gone back to eating. Naruto was talking again. I didn't know why, but because he had interjected and saved me from the awkwardness, it made my breath and heart stop for just a moment. Slowly, I went back to eating too.

The meal continued with Naruto being the prime entertainer. He really just never stopped talking, even with a mouth full of rice, he just went on to tell his stories. When everything was finished, I offered to help wash the dishes, but Sasuke's mother didn't let me.

"You and Naruto should head home now, even if it's a Friday." She told me. "Don't worry. Itachi, why don't you walk Naruto and Sakura-chan back to their homes?"

Sasuke's brother stood from the table and nodded.

"Sasuke," he called, "grab your coat and come with me."

Sasuke only sighed in annoyance but went up to grab his coat without a word.

"Don't worry, he's always like that." Sasuke's brother said. I wasn't sure if it was to me, but I assumed he was just saying it. Because if it was, I wouldn't have known how to respond.

The sun had already gone and all was left was dark and cold. I could feel the hairs on my arms raise, even through the thick down jacket. Naruto seemed impervious to the cold and the two brothers walking behind us just did a good job of not showing it.

"Wow, your mom cooks really good food Sasuke." Naruto complimented. "I wish Old Man Kakashi could cook like that. But nope, he just reads his stupid porn all day."

"Hush," I scolded. "Be grateful to Hatake-san, he's your guardian."

"I am grateful Sakura-chan, I'm just saying that I wish he could cook better." Naruto sighed. "I mean, I don't mind eating instant ramen every night but good food is good food."

I just rolled my eyes.

"Hey, Sakura-chan," Naruto prodded my arm.

"What Naruto?"

"Why don't you invite us over to your dad's shop next week or something? You're dad's an awesome cook."

"I don't…" I looked at him skeptically.

I didn't just invite people to my dad's shop. It just wasn't what I did. People came, and I would sometimes see a classmate or two. But I never asked for friends to come over.

"C'mon," Naruto begged. "Wouldn't you want some first class ramen Sasuke?"

I turned back. In the dark, it was hard to make out anyone's faces. But something in me hoped for a moment that I could have seen what his expression was like.

"I don't really care either way."

And it stung. I didn't know why I cared so much. At least not then.

"I can see what I can do…" I said. While that night hadn't been my ideal, I liked being in with Sasuke. I liked being in his presence. For just a moment, I wanted him to notice me just as much as I noticed him. If he could acknowledge me like he did with Naruto… I hated feeling like a ghost in the room. Just watching and never engaging. I didn't like feeling so small and mouse like, I didn't like being just the "smart little Sakura" everyone thought I was. And here was a boy who knew nothing of me and cared even less for me, if I was bad or good. I just wanted him to see the person I could be.

Naruto made a hop.

"Great, so next Friday, yes?"

"I'll see what I can do."

And I made a promise, and I kept a promise. The next Friday, I had Sasuke and Naruto both sitting across from me as my dad served us ramen. It felt weird being a customer at my own family's shop. But Naruto didn't take a moment longer to just stuff his face into his bowl. Sasuke looked uncaring and unimpressed. And all through dinner, with only minimal interruptions from my parents, I lacked any part of the conversation between Sasuke and Naruto.

The two seemed to click so well, and there was something burning in the pit of my stomach. I felt outcasted? Sure. But I could deal with that. I didn't mind being an outsider usually, in fact I usually made an effort to not get too involved with people. But while I watched the two talk to each other and watched as they seemed to have some kind of understanding of one another… I felt jealous.

Admitting it to myself, I knew that it was an ugly feeling. I tried to rationalize that it was only natural for people to feel like that. When they were being pulled along like a third wheel, it was only normal to feel at least a little unsettled. But why did I feel so jealous? Why did I feel jealous of Naruto? _Naruto?_

"Your dad really is a great cook Sakura-chan," Naruto said.

I bit my lip. In mind I was cursing him and all he did was compliment me. I shook my head and tried to get over myself.

"Thanks Naruto," I said. Taking a sip from my soup, I glanced up to Sasuke who just continued to eat in silence till Naruto started talking to him again.

My hands fisted over my chopsticks. Watching them chatter. I was usually the outsider, but I didn't want to be. Not with him. I didn't want to just watch as he interacted with the people around me. I didn't _just _want to be the person that watched him. Because he had been my duty and I didn't realize what that meant then. I should have cared about him more, and I didn't. And I didn't like that I didn't. I cared for him then, I could feel it in the burn in my stomach and the flush in my face. The me that was always so calculating was just sitting there acting like there was no solution. And I realized that Sasuke may be like me, just watching on the inside. If he wouldn't talk to me, I just had to talk to him. People who don't make the first move, if you want to understand, you need to be the one to take the first step forward. I realized.

I waited for Naruto to take a moment of pause between stories before I spoke.

"So Sasuke-kun," I started, "Where did you live before Eniwa?"

Sasuke looked up at me. In his eyes, I saw something flash. Like he had only just realized I was there.

"Tokyo." He finally said.

"Wow! What district?"

My mother was from Tokyo, and I had heard of how different it was than Eniwa. Large buildings, bustling people and bright street lights.

"Bunkyo." Sasuke was still sticking to monosyllabic responses.

"I see…" I took another sip from my bowl, thinking of other things to keep the conversation going. Naruto hadn't interjected yet. "Does your mom work?"

"No."

"Oh," I was taken aback by the forcefulness of the answer.

"Eh, really?" Naruto butted in. His hand slapped the back of Sasuke's chair. "No wonder I always see her around town. Then what does your dad do?"

I noticed Sasuke's hands stiffen around his spoon. His eyes shifted and lips tightened. Something in the way he let his posture straighten just a bit told me he didn't expect to be asked that. His jaw looked as though it locked, he didn't say a word. Had we said something wrong? His silence was only momentary as he moved around in his chair and continued to eat.

"It doesn't matter."

He said it so finitely, neither of us wanted to question further. It was only later, from his mother, did I hear that they had moved from Tokyo to Eniwa to live with his grandparents. His father had died of a heart attack and now her family was their only form of support. Sasuke hadn't taken to the move well, she'd told me. Sasuke never really was one to voice his complaints, but she said he usually showed signs of defiance. She told me he had just passively accepted moving away, she said Sasuke hadn't seemed the least bit surprised with the news. She said he just seemed defeated.

Things he'd never say and things he would never tell us. He wasn't inherently cold hearted. And I didn't know how to reach him. This boy that I could not understand, I wanted to know down at the very core. I wanted to understand him. I wanted to find the keys into the depths of the chest he kept hidden away. I wanted to know what went on behind the closed doors of his mind. I wanted him to open them for me. But I don't think he would ever let them open. I didn't think he knew how.

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_Sorry that this chapter had no Hinata in it, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways!_

_All reviews are appreciated!_


	6. 2-1: Daylight

**_NOTICE: _**_Plot resumes at present timeline._

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**2.1: Daylight**

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She hadn't fully memorized her schedule yet, or the campus layout. The girls had all agreed to ride the train in together but immediately had to go their separate ways. Different majors, different departments, Temari needed to walk a little further to the graduate classes were held. Hinata found herself more or less lost. Wandering off the main campus road and heading into a direction that she didn't quite know but assumed to have been correct. Only after following a few people for a while did she realize that they were heading off campus.

Finding her way back to her department was difficult enough, but then once she'd found the building she was looking for, the winding and endless halls all looked the same on the inside. Like a labyrinth, one corner seemed to only turn down into another corridor she did not want to go down.

"Are you lost?"

A voice from behind startled her. Turning in shock, a boy stood there.

"Oh," she said sheepishly, "It seems I am."

The boy smiled, lips riding up on scarred cheeks.

"Well, that's good." He seemed to say nonchalantly.

"Excuse me?" She said bewildered.

"Oh, no I wasn't…" He stumbled on his words, realizing the offence someone could take with them. He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed and tried to think of a way to rephrase. "I wasn't implying… I didn't mean to sound like I was happy that you're lost. I… I wasn't suggesting that it was a good thing you have a bad sense of direction – not that you have a bad sense of direction."

Hinata continued to look a little startled. This time not from surprise but just from shock. His mumblings weren't making the situation better. The boy forcefully stuffed his hands in his pockets, frustrated. Obviously he wasn't getting his point across.

"I'm Inuzuka Kiba, second year. I'm supposed to take this English course that I couldn't get into last semester and so this is the first time that I'm in the language building and these halls are so confusing." He explained in one lasting breath. "It felt kind of embarrassing for me, a second year, to not even know where my classes are. So when I saw you kind of wandering aimlessly, it made me feel a bit relieved… not that I've been following you long it's just-…"

"What English course are you taking?" Hinata suddenly asked.

"What?"

She smiled, feeling almost a bit motherly though he was her senior.

"What English course are you taking?" she repeated. "I'm also looking for an English course. Maybe we're looking for the same one."

Kiba flashed a toothy grin.

"I was supposed to look for an English Intermediate." He said.

"Me too," she told him. Looking around, she pulled out her phone. "I don't think it's on this floor. We have a few minutes before the actual class starts."

"Well, then let's try another floor down?" He suggested.

"I've already tried downstairs." Hinata said. Then a little sheepishly, "I've tried the whole building to be honest."

Kiba gave her a look of confidence and another toothy smile.

"I have a feeling," he tried to assure her, "trust me."

Hinata looked a little skeptical but followed him anyways as he led her down a few halls to the stairs. She had been warned before she'd left to watch out for any strange boys who wanted to lead her astray. Or at least who were being too kind to her. Her father had especially told her not to follow any boy around an unfamiliar place, at least not alone. She kept that in mind as they walked out onto the floor below and her hand grazed along her pencil case.

Kiba continued to look down at a slip of paper with his schedule, checking the numbers on the doors. He was relatively tall, not much taller than usual Japanese man. Hair spiked and tanned skin, she'd seen many men like him in Tokyo.

"Hey," Kiba perked, "that door is open over there."

He pointed to a room at the end of the hall. There was only one open door and they watched as someone walked in. Hinata immediately went to look at the time, seeing that they would barely make it. Assuming that it really was the room they were looking for. Hinata and Kiba made a dash for it.

They both held onto their bags, Hinata barely managed to keep it on her shoulder. The two rushed into the room and found that there were several rows of tables, most seats being filled. The professor was at the head of the room straightening his papers. A foreigner who looked as though he didn't particularly want to be there – that or he hadn't had a good night's sleep.

Kiba looked back to the number on the door, and looked down to his paper. Hinata saw as his shoulders seemed to relax. He turned back to her and gave a thumbs up along with a toothy smile. Hinata smiled back and went to take an open seat as the teacher got up to write something on the board. Kiba slid in next to her though there were other unoccupied chairs. She didn't say anything and just pulled out a notebook and her pencil case. Silver, metallic, it made a _clunk _when set on the table.

"That thing could be used as a weapon," Kiba leaned over and whispered.

Hinata just gently shushed him and smiled. He didn't really know how right he was.

The lecture was nothing more than introductions, passing out of the syllabus, going over grading, and ultimately listening to the professor as he talked about how his spring holidays went. Hinata, while the typical good student, couldn't help but feel a little restless. Maybe it had been because she'd spent so much energy trying to get there she had hoped that the effort could have been worth it. Especially since she didn't have any more classes after.

It had been said that college was different than high school. She had heard that it would be strikingly different that she may feel overwhelmed. She had heard that there would be no parental or family support, the only person to push you would be you. There would be more freedom, but less support financially and more from friends. Honestly, that was what she had that was what she had wanted. She wanted to feel overwhelmed and like all she had to rely on was herself. Because she had also heard that she never really was. But it felt the same as being in high school, only she was living with complete strangers now. Which, could be argued was a similar experience.

"You looked really bored."

Hinata had been staring out the window when the lecture ended. She and Kiba ended up being the last ones in the room. Even the professor had left before them.

"Oh." She looked around, a little bewildered.

Kiba laughed and started packing up his own things, stuffing them into a little compact pack.

"Are you okay?" He asked, genuinely concerned. "Not sleep well last night?"

"I…" she hesitated. "I guess not really."

Oddly enough, she hadn't noticed how long it took her to actually doze off. She'd gone back to bed with a full head of wet hair, not realizing she hadn't dried it. Laying in her bed, her mind felt numb. There was something weird about the hearing that voice from across the line. Even though there was nothing extra ordinary or special about what they had said to each other on the phone, something about it made her think too much. But then it made her stop all though as well. She had just lay in bed and stared into the dimness of her room, only the light coming from the moon between the blinds. And somewhere between her mindless thoughts and opening her eyes to her alarm she had fallen asleep.

"Well," Kiba said. He slung his bag over his back. "Do you have any classes anytime soon?"

Hinata had just started packing her own things. She thought that he would have left her to do it alone. But he stayed, and she didn't know whether or not to feel uneasy or grateful.

"This was my last class for today." She told him.

Up till then he had been leaning against the table. Nonchalant. Now, he was upright with puppy excitement.

"Then how about I treat you to a coffee," he offered.

She looked up to him. He panicked.

"I mean… to help you wake up." He clarified. "Wow… um… I'm offering to get you coffee and I don't even know your name. Sorry if it sounds so forward."

He rubbed his hands together before rubbing the back of his neck. His acts of nervousness were a little endearing.

"You know what?" He said a little frustrated. "Forget I said anything. You're probably really tired and just want to get back to your dorm. Or home if you live near here. I'm just sometimes getting ahead of myself. Really, sorry I-…"

"Hyuuga Hinata."

Kiba paused.

"Thank you for helping me today Inuzuka-senpai," she said, "I'm Hyuuga Hinata, first year economics major."

There was a silence. Hinata stood and shrugged her bag onto her shoulder. She gave him a small smile.

"R-right." He stuttered. "Inuzuka Kiba, second year forensics major."

The two awkwardly stood for a moment waiting for either to make the first step out of the classroom. Kiba motioned for her to. Nodding, Hinata started walking.

"Forensics major?" she repeated.

"That's right. Discovering shi-… I mean stuff," he said. "That's my thing."

Hinata nodded.

"No wonder you could find this class."

He flushed at the compliment and she couldn't help but find how charming his bashfulness was.

* * *

She had been reading for an hour by the time the knock on her door came. Hinata quickly put away the book and opened the door. Sakura stood with a head of wet hair.

"Temari-chan is back with dinner," Sakura said.

"Okay."

Hinata grabbed a sweater from her chair and walked out with Sakura. She grabbed a few cups from the cupboard and placed them down on the island. Temari and Ino were already setting out bowls of rice for everyone. Sakura grabbed a handful of chopsticks from a drawer and set herself down in front of a bowl.

"So," Temari started, "how were everyone's first days?"

She and the other two girls took their own places around the island. A bowl of stewed tofu and vegetables were in the center of them.

"Really easy," Ino sighed. "I know it's only the first day and everything, but I honestly thought it would be at least a _little _challenging."

"You say that now, but watch out," Temari warned, "keep that mindset and before you know it it'll be three years later and your GPA isn't what you hoped it would be."

"I know, I know." Ino rolled her eyes. "I was just saying that today wasn't as hard as I thought."

"And I'm just saying that you shouldn't get too comfortable." Temari stressed. The two shared a momentary glance, Temari raised a brow before letting out a sigh. "Anyways, don't let the food get cold. I traveled on the crowded train to get this to you girls."

Ino gave a joking solute. The others thanked for the food before they began to serve themselves. It steamed and felt nice in their mouths. Especially with the early spring winds, while it was no longer snowing there was still a chill.

"What about you two?" Temari questioned once more. "How did you think of your first day as a university student?"

Both Hinata and Sakura had their mouths full when asked the question. It was silent. The girls had only know each other for a couple of days and while they had all decided that no one outright disliked each other as of yet, moments with all of them together were still slightly uncomfortable. In a hurried rush to not keep anyone in an awkward silence for too long, Hinata ended up choking on a grain of rice.

It surprised everyone. Ino quickly reached over and patted her back. Sakura rushed to offer her a glass of water and Temari insistently asked if she was all right. Hinata placed a hand over her mouth as the coughing subsided.

"I'm… fine…" she managed. "I'm okay. Thank you."

She cleared her throat.

"Anyways," Hinata tried to continue, a pained expression played on her face. "I agree with Ino-san, today was much easier than I had imagined."

"You too," Temari pointed. "I trust you have a better screwed head than Ino-…"

"Hey." Ino protested.

Temari did a sideways glance and snorted.

"…but don't let your academics slip under you." She finished.

Hinata nodded.

"Don't worry Temari-san." Hinata gave a smile in attempt to assure Temari that she surely wouldn't let her grades suffer due to laziness. "But I did meet someone, he treated me to coffee today."

"What? First day of classes and already guys are buying you coffee?" Ino set down her chopsticks. She leaned forward so that she was pressed against the island, hair almost falling into her bowl. "Was he cute?"

Hinata hadn't really expected that reaction but continued to eat as though she had. Eyes cast down, she couldn't really place what he looked like. Brown hair, almond eyes, toothy smile. Nothing stood out from any of the other faces that she'd seen that day, but if faced to identify him in her class, she immediately thought of a face just by her seat. He was plain, average.

"I suppose?" was her unsure response.

"This place is actually filled with really attractive guys." Ino said. "But I won't let them get in the way of my studies."

The last part was added in, Ino feeling the stare from Temari. Sakura fidgeted in her seat and set her bowl down to scoop more tofu into it.

"Well my day actually felt a little challenging, I got lost several times." Sakura said. "The content wasn't hard but university definitely has a different feel than high school, don't you think pig?"

Ino had one leg up on her chair, bent over and stuffing her face full of rice. At first she didn't register that "pig" was referring to her. But when she did, she paused and glanced up at Sakura. Temari laughed at the sight, causing Ino to glare at her, too.

"Okay then, forehead." Ino challenged. "Maybe that just makes you a little stupider that the rest of us?"

Sakura frowned.

"I said it was only hard because I kept getting lost."

Ino huffed. Sakura rolled her eyes but continued like she hadn't stopped talking.

"I met someone, too." Sakura said almost proudly. "And I can for sure tell you that he is more than just cute."

Ino perked up at the news.

"Oh really, forehead?" She said. "Where'd you meet him?"

Sakura laughed and ignored the nickname.

"Well, I didn't exactly _meet_ him." She clarified.

"What do you mean you didn't _meet _him?" Temari imitated Sakura's use of inflection. She smirked. "What did you do? See him and just follow him around? Sounds kind of stalker-ish."

The girls laughed.

"Nothing like that. We actually talked, I'll have you know," Sakura insisted. "No, I just mean that this isn't my first time meeting him. We went to the same high school."

Hinata almost dropped her chopsticks. A chill went down her back, and it wasn't from the cold. She shivered. Temari noticed and asked if she was okay. Hinata just assured her that she was fine.

"Oh," Ino said. "Is he a science major of any sort?"

"Chemistry." Sakura said. "And he's really good at it."

Ino chuckled.

"Mind introducing me?"

"Not in the way you're thinking." Sakura commented. "But as friends sure."

"You sly little…" Ino had a small, playful whine in her voice. Their exchange, while a little less than friendly, definitely was what seemed to be normal for the two. Despite the name calling and oddly offensive words, the two always managed to just smile and laugh and each other and themselves. Hinata – while usually tolerant of their banter – all of a sudden didn't feel like she wanted to hear much else.

She stood. Temari, Sakura, and Ino all looked up to her. She had a blank expression and immediately they all felt the mood dampen a little. A light green dimmed to a somber blue.

"Sorry," Hinata apologized. She could have very well left without one, but she felt it necessary to leave with one. "I'm done."

"Really?" Temari asked. "Is that all you're going to eat? You didn't have much tofu."

Hinata gave a wary smile.

"I had a sandwich at the coffee shop," she lied, "it must have been heavier than I thought."

"Oh, I see."

Without another word of complaint, Hinata dropped her bowl into the sink and made her way back to her room. Her exit had left everyone feeling cold, but the other girls tried to continue eating as though nothing happened.

Hinata sat down at her desk, her book cover staring back at her. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her hands and chin on top of them. This kind of person that she was acting like, Hinata didn't like it. There was a pit in her stomach, but it wasn't hunger. It was deep and dark, like it was endless. And it wiggled and slithered, making its way up, just grazing the bottoms of her heart. She continued to sit there, eyes burning holes into the shut pages. It wasn't clear to her that she had just sat like that for a while, not moving. Her mind fuzzed, blanked. She had fallen asleep and she didn't even know it.

Her phone buzzed.

The wood all vibrated and woke her. She jolted up, head alert.

It was a text from her sister.

_How was your first day?_

She didn't feel like answering back, but she knew Hanabi would be waiting patiently by her phone till she did. Hinata sighed and got up from her chair. Grabbing her pajamas, she started typing a quick response that was short enough to not take much physical effort, but long enough so that Hanabi wouldn't feel the need to question further.

She walked out with everything in hand, intending to take a bath. The island had already been cleaned of any mess and the common room was empty, save for a spot of pink sitting on one of the couches. Sakura was on her phone and though Hinata had only just seen a glance, there was no doubt in her mind who was on the other end.

_All right. Goodnight._

* * *

"To be honest, I thought you wouldn't come."

Hinata turned and saw Kiba. He looked tired, a bead of sweat hanging to the cliff of his chin. He panted like a dog, had he run?

"I offered to buy you a coffee this time," Hinata said, "why wouldn't I come?"

"Oh, right." Kiba breathed.

For his sake, she pretended like she didn't see the blush that crept up his face. Maybe it was only because he had so obviously ran to the coffee shop. And though the two had agreed that she would definitely pay this time, she wasn't sure why he decided to pull out his own wallet before she could. Even as she insisted that a cup wasn't trouble for her, he continued to push the paper towards the cashier.

It was warmer that day than it had been in a while. Even if it was still morning. Hinata felt like she may have needed to take her sweater and scarf off somewhere between the coffee shop and the language building. But this time, after entering, there were no questions as to where the class was. By the time they reached to room, there was still a good ten minutes before anything would start.

She took the same seat that she had the day before. Kiba took the seat just beside her, just like he had the day before. Slowly, the seats around them started to fill. Hinata didn't say anything more and just took out her pencil case, a_ clunk_ seemed to echo.

"I really would hate to be hit with that." Kiba joked. "Where'd you get that?"

Hinata looked to him, then back at her pencil case.

"Tokyo tower." She said fondly. "There used to be a picture of it on one of these sides. But it's rubbed off over the years."

Without asking, Kiba picked up the case and looked at both sides. The metal gave distorted and fuzzed reflections. But if he looked closely enough, faint outlines of what could have been something were marked on one side. He sniffed it.

Hinata, while at first surprised, let a smile slip and she giggled.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"How old is this?" Kiba ignored her question and simply asked his own.

"Old…I suppose." Hinata thought for a moment. "Ten years I think."

Just then, the professor came into the classroom and the room fell deadly silent. The only thing that could be heard for the first moments of class was the ticking of the clock. The professor straightened out some papers, then stood, and greeted the class in English. He didn't look any better than the day before, he still had bags and a tired expression.

After the class greeted him back, he began writing his lecture on the board. Letters and words that contorted in different shapes and forms than Japanese were being written. Hinata immediately took out her binder and Kiba handed her pencil case back. She started scribbling something down on the paper, exactly as it was being written on the board. And once the professor had finished writing what needed to be written, he started explaining, using the same dreary and monotonous voice that he had used the day before.

Finally, at some point in the lesson, the professor gave instructions for a self-work period with translating passages he'd written on the board. Hinata, while only having just been paying enough attention to have barely understood the procedure given, began working on her own. It was habit. Kiba, only watched for a little. Hesitant, he didn't bother her. Instead, he just tried to work through the passage they'd be given on his own. Around them, there were little whispers as others started to ask for help here and there in Japanese. The teacher didn't seem to care either way. He just sat and looked down at some papers on his desk.

"Kind of hard isn't it?" He found himself asking.

Hinata, only half listening to what was going on around her, stopped writing.

"I don't…" she started. Stopped. Realized she wasn't actually paying any attention. Looked back at Kiba. "What?"

Kiba, a little distraught, just smiled.

"I was just saying that it's a little difficult." He rephrased.

"Oh." She nodded then went back to her work. While her listening comprehension may not be the strongest, if she is given a passage, she definitely wrote and could read much better than anything else. Which is why she excelled in English in the classroom, but not much else.

Half-way through the second passage, she finally registered exactly the words that Kiba had been saying to her. Realizing what had happened, she took a glance to his paper and found he hadn't written anything past the first sentence of the first passage. Setting down her pen, she let out a small, breathy sigh and shifted in her seat so that she was facing more towards the boy next to her.

"What parts don't you understand?" She asked him, expertly showing no signs of annoyance in her face.

Kiba looked up from his paper and just flashed her a toothy smile.

"I'm not too sure how or where to put the verbs." He admitted shamelessly. "They always seem to go where ever they want."

Sucking in a breath and holding, she nodded and started explaining. She leaned forward and slowly whispered the next sentence in the passage. It was rhythmic and at a measured pace, the beginnings and ends of each word bounced and hit like a metronome. Her expression, while naturally soft, held a caring and almost maternal look that carried into the tone of her voice. Kiba tried his hardest to concentrate on what was being described to him. He would eventually be caught staring.

Hinata stopped mid-sentence.

Someone had reached over to tap Kiba on the shoulder. He and Hinata turned to the table behind them, following the hand that had reached out. Something in her jumped and there was an intense pounding against her chest.

Black hair, scruffy bangs just barely sweeping by his eyes. Clean shaven and wearing a blue polo. Neither Hinata nor Kiba knew when or for how long this man had been sitting there. He looked bored, eyes narrowed and lips pressed in a thin line.

"Uh…" Kiba eyed him. "Yes? Can I help you?"

He didn't answer right away. He just sat there without moving. Then, slowly, his eyes began to glide to their right. Hinata and his eyes locked. She bit the inside of her lip and felt the teeth draw blood. She wanted to look away, and she thought it was only appropriate to look away. A tingling feeling traveled from somewhere in the pit of her stomach and traveled up. She knew it was a blush, but she did her best to hold it back; trying her hardest to think of something else. The pounding in her chest was tormenting, a knock, knock against bone.

"I dropped my pen beneath your desk." He finally said.

It all seemed too clear. That deep and husky voice, it scraped against her eardrums. Without the static and echoed mumbles from crappy service it all felt less surreal and more tangible. Disregarding the fact that he was literally sitting less than a meter away, Hinata felt like – if she tried – she could reach out and touch something. He didn't break away from her eyes, and she just continued to stare wide eyed.

Kiba had bent down to reach for the pen. Hinata was thankful that he did before her face heated red. She looked away.

"Here." Kiba was curt.

He took the pen that was handed to him.

"Tomato."

Hinata's eyes shot open wider.

"W-what?" She looked up frantically, speaking louder than she would have liked. And as if he had expected it, black bitted eyes were there to meet her. He did not seem the least bit surprised.

"I said _do-u-mo_." He said slowly. Letting each syllable click off his tongue.

His face showed nothing, at least nothing that could be deduced from a single glance. But as he went back to work on the passages, she swore that she saw the corner of his mouth twitch up. Only one side, into a momentary – fleetingly clear – crooked smile. Obviously shaken, she turned back and started to work on her own once again. Reading furiously through the passages and writing everything in a hurried rush; anything to fill her mind up with any words but the ones that occurred in the real world.

And by the end of the self-work time, the professor began writing the correct translations on to the board. Hinata looked up and down again at her binder, circling mistakes in a bright red and correcting them in green. Too absorbed in her work, she didn't notice when the professor had dismissed the class. Kiba, with hesitance called her name once.

"Hyuuga-san?"

"Huh?" She lifted her head, like lifting it from a trance.

"It's time to go." He told her.

"Oh," was all she said.

Looking back down to her binder, she realized she could barely read any of her handwriting. It wasn't neat and inline like it usually was. Her lips pressed firmly together into a line, displeased.

"You go ahead," she told him. "I think I'll stay just a few more minutes to rewrite some things."

Kiba looked surprised.

"Are you sure?"

She gave him a sweet smile.

"Go ahead. I won't be here very long." Hinata assured him and without a second thought went back to her binder.

At first, he thought he would stay. But then, he thought better and reluctantly left. Hinata continued to scribble and erase and rewrite letter and words here and there. Eventually, it seemed like she was the only one left when she decided she was satisfied with her notes.

As she made moves to clean up, in the corner of her eye, she noticed that she wasn't completely alone.

He just sat there, pen in hand as he traced over each letter. Everything was thick in black ink, some letters had already torn through the page and onto the next. Soon, the sole sound that bounced off the walls were the faint scratches of needle to paper. His hands only moved side to side, robotically. And when they lifted, the sides were shaded like his steely eyes.

"It's not nice to just stare," he said. His voice felt strained.

Hinata blinked a couple of times.

"S-sorry." She inwardly cursed her stutter.

"No you're not." He said.

He placed the pen down, crossed his arms, and looked back up at her.

"Excuse me?"

"If you were, you'd stop doing it." He explained, sounding almost triumphant. "If you were really sorry you'd stop staring at me."

She remained silent.

He didn't say anything back. Awkward and a little clumsily, he started packing up his things too. Hinata, taking it as a sign stood up, bag in hand. But as she tried to will her feet to move, they didn't. She just stood there and watched as he packed up his things. When he peered up, she couldn't see what exactly his expression was before he turned away from her again.

"I knew you weren't so-…"

"It's nice to see you again, Sasuke-kun."

He paused.

"Sorry," she apologized for cutting him off.

His head dropped. A hand reached up and ruffled his hair. He let out a groan and a hiss, looking back up, he sat for a moment, then stood.

"It's nice to see you, too." He said. And a half a beat later added, "Tomato-chan."

She laughed. The old nickname felt nostalgic, and while she used to be so confused by it, now it just gave her a sense of comfort.

"I'll be late for my next class."

"Then you should go."

"You should go, too."

"I'm not in a hurry."

Sasuke gave a half smirk. A crooked smiled.

"You know," he started nonchalant, "I was thinking of getting a pencil case at that time."

The topic seemed completely non-sequitur and Hinata only blinked confused.

"So I'll see you around?" She asked, disregarding his comment.

"In this class I guess." He told her.

"Well," she nodded a few times, "Then I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

A moment passed. They just kept each other as time slowed. But one had to leave. So when they did, and stepped out into the hall, things seemed to return to something somewhat like normalcy,

* * *

**. . .**

* * *

_Doumo: Meaning "Thanks" in Japanese._

_Please continue to support~ All reviews are appreciated!_


	7. 2-2: Daylight

**_NOTICE: _**_A composite of 2 months in one chapter._

* * *

**. . .**

* * *

**2.2: Daylight**

She gripped her bag from around her shoulders. Coming off the train, her stride was slow and patient. She didn't find any need to rush, if she did she would only be too early. Down the streets, snow no longer piled at the corners of the sidewalk. It was beginning to feel a little more like spring, though the ice plastered onto windows and tree branches still needed to be thawed.

Hinata didn't need to pull on her winter coat to make it okay on her way to class. A sweater and long socks were sufficient enough. The scarf tangled around her neck as mid spring air blew when she turned the corner. She yawned, only having woken up an hour ago.

"Hyuuga-san." Kiba called from just beyond the front gates.

Hinata looked up from her gaze on the floor and saw him standing, waving his hand.

"Inuzuka-kun," Hinata greeted once she had gotten closer. "Did you come in early, too?"

"What?" Kiba's eyes widened a little. "Oh, no. I had a lecture earlier this morning and I was just on my way to grab some breakfast. Didn't have any, so, I was a bit hungry."

He laughed.

"Actually on my way, I thought of you." He admitted, a little sheepish. "I thought I'd wait till you showed up."

Hinata looked surprised.

"Inuzuka-kun, if you're hungry you shouldn't have waited." She scolded.

"Really?" Kiba gave a toothy grin. "Sorry, I just didn't want to go alone. Being in a café on your own in weird."

She sighed but in the end let the corner of her lip lift just a bit. Kiba raised a brow and bent to her level and flashed her a toothy grin.

"So does that mean you'll come?" He asked.

His childish way of showing glee never failed to win her over. Never were his request unreasonable, mostly just asking to come and get coffee with him. There was a little teeth in her smile. Pulling out her phone from her bag, she checked the time.

"Alright," she said putting her phone away, "there's time."

"Cool," Kiba beamed. "Let's go."

For someone who hadn't eaten breakfast, Kiba had enough energy for the two of them. She followed along just a step behind as they walked down the main campus road. Not too far from the gate was a little café the two had seemed to go to when together. Hinata liked getting different every day, unsure of what she liked or disliked. Not particularly liking one drink over the other. Kiba on the other hand came up with one of the most complex orders she'd ever heard. Yet the workers behind the counter didn't seem to mind and Kiba was always consistent with what he wanted.

"So, how was your weekend Hyuuga-san?" Kiba asked when waiting for their drinks. "Did you and your roommates explore Sapporo a little more?"

"Ah..." Hinata thought for a moment. "It was alright I suppose. I was actually looking around for a job this weekend."

"Really?"

Hinata nodded.

"We have to pay the rent in a couple of weeks," she explained, "I set aside enough money for this month, but I don't think next month will be the same."

"What about your roommates?" Kiba asked.

"Sakura-chan and Ino-chan both have their share of the rent paid for by their parents." Hinata said. "Temari-san is looking for a paid internship. I actually went out with her this weekend."

"Oh," Kiba nodded. "That's good."

A student working from behind the counter came out and called out their order number.

"Here you go Inuzuka-kun." Hinata pulled out a few bills from her bag and handed it to Kiba.

"Oh," Kiba said, staring at the money offered to him. "It really isn't any trouble, a few bucks here and there."

Hinata bit her lip, troubled.

"Really," she insisted, "I don't want to feel like I owe you anything."

"You don't," Kiba said. "Don't worry about it."

He flashed her a toothy smile and handed Hinata her coffee. Still uneasy, she put away the money and took the cup, feeling the weight heavier than normal. And though her mind seemed to only be focusing on not spilling her drink, she felt unsteady during the whole walk to their next class.

Hinata went to take her seat from the week before. Kiba followed along and set himself down beside her. Hearing as other students slowly made their way into the room, Hinata couldn't help but nervously look over her shoulder every once in a while, checking the door. Kiba continued to tell her of his weekend, but noticing her distracted expression, he'd gently call her name every once in a while.

"I'm sorry Inuzuka-san," she'd apologize. But seemed to mean little to nothing as she continued to let her eyes wander and distract herself.

"Are you okay, Hyuuga-san?" Kiba asked. "You seem a little jumpy."

Hinata turned to Kiba looking spaced. Shaking her head, she tried to give a reassuring smile.

"Oh, no, it's nothing."

And when the door opened again, she took a side glance despite herself.

Sasuke stepped in with a slow stride. Entering like a he had all the time in the world. The door almost held itself open, motionless, floating in the time that stopped. Then, like realizing where exactly he was, he paused at the entrance and looked around. It wasn't subtle the way he scanned around the room, looking for something. But there was no change in his expression as he sluggishly went to his seat.

"Good morning." He said it with a husky grumble in the throat. Yet it felt like it rolled right off his tongue. But the awkward half beat passed and he added, "Hyuuga-san."

Absent mindedly, she nodded her head.

"Good morning." She said softly.

"Do you two know each other?"

Kiba's question came in like a bad joke. But Hinata looked back to him as if not expecting to be asked. And her fingers gripped the back of her chair.

"Oh," she hesitated, "Well, last class-…"

"We were acquaintances from sometime in history."

Kiba turned to Sasuke who was just fiddling with his pen. Looking up, Sasuke's stare pierced. The statement made no sense out of context. But Hinata gulped and Sasuke made no sudden movements. Kiba just looked confused. A click of a pen and rustling of papers were heard in the background as more people came to set up and take their seats. Uncomfortable stillness trapped them.

"Uchiha-san is friends with one of my roommates," Hinata interjected into the moment of silence. Her throat dry. His name came off awkwardly on her tongue, a name she never used. "I found out last class…"

Sasuke said nothing to neither confirm nor rejected what Hinata was saying. And it didn't seem like he needed to when the professor walked in shortly after, carrying a stack of papers held messily together in a folder.

* * *

Coming out from the bath, she felt her skin raise in goose bumps. Quickly wrapping herself in her towel she worked her way to the porcelain sink and stared at herself in the mirror. Her bangs were wet and messily pushed up and to the side of her face. There was a steady sound of water dripping from the ends of her hair as girlish giggles were echoing through the thin walls of the boarding house.

Her hands gripped the bowl of the sink and there was a strange pit forming in her stomach. She bent over but held in the choking feeling as she gasped for air. The bowl threatened to break under her clutch, she felt disgusted at how overdramatic she made this. Without another thought, she pulled on her clothes.

Her hair was still wet but she placed a towel around her shoulders and exited the bathroom with her half charged phone.

"It's free now."

"Oh, okay," Sakura said between giggles.

Sitting on the couch was Sakura, pink phone pressed to her ear. She had been talking and laughing for a while and Hinata had pretended like she didn't notice.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Sakura said into the phone. "Okay, bye."

With a smile, she lifted herself up off the couch and stretched out her arms. Hinata hadn't realized she was staring till Sakura met her directly in the eye. She tilted her head.

"Who was that?" Hinata asked without thinking.

She knew who was on the other end. It was obvious. It was obvious and she knew it. Her arms crossed, resting just over her abdomen.

"Oh, just my friend." Sakura giggled.

Hinata nodded. She waited for Sakura to go into the bathroom and close the door before slowly walking back to her room. Closing herself in, she let her hands drop to her sides.

Her phone vibrated. Without even giving it a second thought, Hinata knew it was her sister asking her how she was. Costmary before Hanabi went to bed.

Grudgingly, Hinata lifted herself off the floor and picked it up.

_I got all the answers write on today's test._

Hanabi was never one to just share the mundane things in her life with others. Hanabi kept company but left little room to keep herself occupied. Hanabi was the kind of girl that liked to sit by her sister's side and listen while she turned the pages of a book she was reading, or lie on Hinata's lap as she fell asleep. But Hinata was no longer there. Neji was an ocean away.

_Wonderful Hanabi!_

It didn't take long after replying to message for Hinata's phone to vibrate again.

_Thank you onee-san :)_

Hanabi never used emoji.

* * *

"Hey, Hyuuga-san," Kiba lightly tapped Hinata on the elbow.

She turned to him, wide eyed. Her eyes had been glazed over, staring into a space somewhere out the café window.

"Are you alright?" Kiba asked, a small, worried look on his face.

"Oh, yes," She assured him, "I'm sorry Inuzuka-san."

While not fully convinced, he allowed her words to be the small signal of assurance. They had been dismissed for a while and the two were just waiting around for their next lecture to start. Enjoying each other's company – at least Kiba tried to enjoy Hinata's. She acted like it didn't quite matter if he were there or not.

Sasuke hadn't come to class for a week.

"Well, anyways, guess what?" Kiba leaned against the counter of the table the two were sitting at.

Hinata mixed her coffee.

"What?"

Kiba gave a large grin and he leaned even further forwards. She pressed her back a little further into the back of her chair.

"I think I may have gotten you a job." He said, excited. "Well, it isn't a guarantee but I've got you an interview."

Hinata's eye's lifted just a bit.

"It's actually at the car shop I work at." He explained. "Not that you have to deal with the cars, though. It's an accounting job. I figured because you were an economics major you'd be pretty good with numbers and so…well this would be easy money to make."

Hinata gripped her cup a little tighter and bit her lip.

"I mean, the job doesn't pay great but it pays decent." Kiba admitted. "So, what do you think? I could take you over this Saturday for the interview if you're interested."

"Ah," Hinata breathed.

Kiba looked at her expectantly. She swallowed.

"I'm sorry Inuzuka-san," she said, "I appreciate it but I've already gotten a job."

"Really?" Kiba seemed a little surprised. "Oh, when?"

"This past weekend." She said. Hinata sipped her coffee. Her eyes spoke like words of apology. "It's a little further from the university, but taking a different train it's not a long train ride from our boarding house. And the hours are very flexible."

"Oh, well that's good." Kiba didn't seem to have the same enthusiasm as before. "What do you do?"

"It's a café," She said.

He laughed and scratched the back of his head nervously. The shake in his usual happy banter was obvious.

"Then maybe I can come and get some coffee on my days off, right?" He tried to sound carefree. A toothy smile still plastered onto his face.

Hinata gave him a small smile.

"Of course," she told him. "I work Monday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons, and Saturday mornings. I guess you drop by whenever you want."

Kiba leaned back into his chair and threw his hands behind his head. A pensive look on his face. Hinata stared, but quickly looked down at her cup. She felt a tinge of sadness, like having just accidentally kicked a puppy.

"Do I have to dress fancy?"

She looked up.

"Huh?" Hinata was confused by the question. But Kiba's expression had brightened again to what it usually was. A toothy grin and shining eyes.

"Do I have to dress fancy?" He repeated the question. "Because sorry, Hyuuga, but I'll be coming in my oily, greasy shop clothes if I'm going to be getting a coffee."

Hinata couldn't help but laugh at the comment.

"It's a casual café," she told him, "No need to wear a bow-tie."

"I wasn't planning to," He said and flashed her another toothy smile.

And then there was a calm in way that he just leaned back and sipped his coffee. The sun fell onto his bedhead in beams, glowing bright golden and shimmering red. A foot propped up on his chair he looked at home, casually sitting on an old couch. She would remember it as she saw him sitting like that for weeks later, his normal attire traded in for a grease and oil stained, denim-blue jumper.

Kiba came every afternoon, just after his shift at the auto shop was over.

"Good luck," he'd say when she would set down his order.

He would smile at her while she worked, a warm hand wrapped loosely around a mug of steaming coffee. Sipping slowly, at school he never complained and only complained about what the café had to offer. His shoulders shrugged and slumped when he would get up and loudly thank the owner for her generosity before waving Hinata a goodbye. And on his way out, he would always bump into the same coat hanger. It didn't matter where Hinata would place it, there would be a clatter of coins as he let coins fall from his pockets. The _ding _of the bell when he exited was sign enough that it was too late to call him out on it. Hinata frowned, gingerly putting them into her pocket. She'd return it the next time she saw him.

But whenever next time came, he would never take it back. Just smile and continue on like always.

"Hinata-chan," the café owner called her over.

When she had started working, by the time she'd leave the sun had gone and the streets illuminated with orange lamps. Hinata, at this point, felt accustomed to being out late. But with summer fast approaching and the days growing longer, every day seemed to only grow brighter and brighter. While her shift ended before curfew, it was common to arrive back only barely on time. She had already explained her situation to the girls and they gladly disabled the alarm on nights she had to work.

"Help me put these last cup up at the top would you?" the owner requested.

"Of course, Yuuhi-san," Hinata responded respectfully.

Yuuhi Kurenai was a lithe woman, long arms and legs. Hinata could tell, even when her ankles swelled from the large protruding belly. Her shoulders were broad and arms toned from years of rolling and pressing dough. Fingers strong and rough – callused – when they brushed against Hinata's.

"Ah, I told you it's fine to at least call me Kurenai-san," the woman sighed. She handed the cups delicately.

"I'm sorry… Kurenai-san."

Hinata spoke softly, not focusing much on what she was actually saying. But Kurenai smiled anyways, laughing heartily while they worked. There had been moments where it felt a little hectic, the little café being run only by the two of them. But in the quiet, she felt thankful that there weren't other employees with larger and wider personalities to suffocate the atmosphere. It was calm.

"That boy who comes to see you every day," Kurenai commented, "He's always such a joy."

Hinata absentmindedly agreed. She came down from a spot on the counter and wiped her knees clean of residual flour.

"He always orders the same thing," Hinata said, "and he always drops money on his way out."

"At least he's consistent," Kurenai joked. But the younger woman didn't laugh, only meekly smiled. "Does that annoy you Hinata-chan?"

Kurenai's question caught Hinata off guard. Sending off a signal in the back of her mind, it felt jabbing and accusing. But it was fine. Hinata didn't mind. She showed a collected and polite face.

"No," Hinata sighed. "I just noticed it."

There were no further questions. Cleaning up the café was usually a quiet event, only consisting of small banters every once in a while or when Hinata would receive her weekly pay. Even then, it never extended past a few congratulatory comments here and there. It sometimes worried Kurenai.

When Kurenai's husband drove up to the front and picked her up that was when the official closing time was. Hinata was finally able to hang her apron and close up shop.

As the late spring air blew, a mixture of tingling warmth mixed with freshness touched her. Hinata felt her skirt flutter and she struggled to hold it down. Pulling her coat tighter around herself, she scanned the area before putting the keys back into its hiding place just behind the mail slot.

The sun was just over the horizon of the skyline. Like a child's coloring book, the sky was filled with hues of bright poppy and daisies. An endless street on the edges of Sapporo were usually close to empty around this time. Most shops were closing or already closed.

But a light only just started to illuminate across the street. A small book shop that Hinata had never seen being in use. A small "open" sign hanging on the handle. But no one seemed to be in it, just the lights glaringly pooling into the vacant street. Unforgivingly welcoming.

Curious, she looked both ways and went closer.

"Funny…" she whispered to herself.

She had been warned ever since she was young about entering anywhere alone. Be it a place familiar or not. _A girl does not go into strange places alone._

Yet it didn't really seem to matter to her either way as she carefully stepped in. The bell rang and she gently said into the void, "Hello."

Announcing an arrival to no one in particular, she could tell that the place hadn't been in use for some time. At least not by a human presence at least. There were shelves of books, as expected. And in a corner, an empty cashier table with stacks of papers, pens, and a cup. It was dust filled and looked forgotten, had the cup not been steaming from a fresh drink. But other than the dust particles that floated in and out of the grasp of the incandescent lights, it was empty.

Hinata looked around, her fingers dusting off the shelf. The book's bindings were coarse. Like looking into lost memories, she mesmerized at the gold seamed and messily stylized kanji that were written down each spine.

"Apologies, I was straightening things out in the back."

Hinata turned, visibly startled by the voice of someone else nearby. But her eyes, already wide, could only struggle to grow wider when the two met contact. Hazel and coal, they struck each other with a force. Frozen, her chest clenched and arms crossed, defensive. He only shifted his weight. He was forced to look away when there was a feeling of burning in the back of his eyes.

But they remained in silence. She opened her mouth only slightly, ready to say something, but ultimately decided against it. He paused, and took a seat. A heavy atmosphere, suffocating, swirled around them. The steam from the cup dissipated before it could even reach above the brim.

"Did you need something?" He finally asked.

"N-not really."

Hinata let the hair in her bun slowly slip down her neck. There was no movement to pick them up.

"Why are you here?"

She could help but wince once at the demand in his tone. It was rough and grating against her skin, like it threatened to try and pry her open. To shatter her.

"I…" There was a slow and drowning pause when she started to speak. She tried to catch herself. The stutter threatened to inch its way out. "I work across the street. I didn't know you worked…here."

"I open it whenever I want to. The owner doesn't care." Sasuke took a seat in front of the stacks of papers. Picking up a pen, she heard him begin to write. Scratching filled the emptiness.

Hinata sighed and again looked around her. No one was out in the streets and the shop was too spacious for her liking. The distance between her and the cashier desk seemed like a sea away, rocky and treacherous. Sasuke didn't spare her a glance. His attention remained on the work in front of him.

There seemed to be a weight set on her shoulders when she began walking toward the door. Each step dropped her down deeper. But hand on the handle and the scratching sound scrapping at the edges of her eardrum, she turned and peeked over the cashier desk to see what he was writing. Much to her surprise, they were exercises. English exercises.

"What?" Sasuke demanded.

Hinata's eyes shot up to meet his. A piercing stare.

"What?" He repeated. "Why are you-…"

"You don't come to class," she interrupted him. Saying her words bluntly as fact – it was fact.

His eyes turned away, but his pen was down and he made no motion to pick it back up. Leaning against the desk the edge of his shoulders curved in.

"If you aren't here to buy a book," he started, "why are you here?"

Even though the question was already asked, this time it felt less demanding. It was softer, quiet, and patient. It didn't ask much and didn't expect much. Hinata felt her hands slide off of the desk and back to her sides. Watching as his lips quirked up into a line rather than a frown. He swept a few hairs from his face and met her gaze.

"I was just leaving," she told him.

Like telling a baby that their mother needed to go, it was a sweet and gentle way of speaking. Resolute, but with a glint of hope that the parting wasn't forever.

"Do you live around here?" He found himself asking.

"No," she answered, "my boarding house is just a few stops away, though."

"Do you want me to accompany you?"

"You're working."

Sasuke sighed and glanced at his phone. The empty bookstore was to be ignored. Getting up from his stool, he grabbed his school bag from under the desk and slung it haphazardly over a shoulder. Waling to where Hinata stood he twisted the open sign to closed and shut off the lights.

"I pass by the station on my way home." His voice was distant, like he were only talking out loud to himself.

Without giving much more of an explanation Sasuke exited the shop. Hinata stunned at first, followed soon after. The day teetered on the edges of daylight and twilight, but the streets could still be seen clearly in the dimness. Hinata's hands gripped tightly onto her bag as she struggled for a bit to catch up. Her steps were quick and short.

But when she had fallen into step with him, he paid no mind to her. There was no twitch of the eye to show acknowledgement or a shift of stance to make more room on the sidewalk for her. Instead he just remain looking ahead, gaze trained forwards. She didn't know how to react to react to such a lack of reaction and so just continue to keep in pace with him. Numbly watching the left foot step in front of the right, then right in front of the left.

"Why don't you come to the lectures anymore?" She decided to ask.

He shrugged and stuffed hands into his pockets.

"Decided I'd study on my own," he responded, "that's pretty much all we do anyways. Self-study. Plus the bookshop is much quieter than that stuffed up classroom."

"And you're a short walk back to your apartment?"

"Yeah…"

Five missing years. Many things happen in one, and five had passed them by like the train she was about to board.

"How is your family?" Sasuke asked monotonous. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his pants, expression bored. "Did the baby end up being a girl or a boy?"

It was a normal, everyday question that most people inquired to their acquaintances. When you don't see people for a long time, there were few things to talk about and often the conversations fell flat between strangers. So there were the customary questions to try and lift the silence. But this one only made something turn sour in the pit of Hinata's stomach.

"It was a still birth." She was curt.

Silence.

"I'm sorry…" Sasuke gave the customary answer. Unsure if it was appropriate to give.

Running a hand through her bangs, she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. She bit her lip. It wasn't Sasuke's fault, he hadn't known.

"It was a boy," she finally said. "We found out not long after you left Tokyo. It hurt us all, but it really affected my mother."

"Is she doing better?"

"She died shortly after my thirteenth birthday." Hinata was solemn.

He mentally cursed himself. He really shouldn't have said anything.

"You don't stutter anymore." Sasuke commented, trying to casually change the subject. But Hinata made no remark on the acknowledgement. Where she once would have thanked him with a glittering smile, she just stared blankly as though she hadn't heard a thing. So they let the silence drift back between them again.

The steady beat of their pace thumped in time with the rhythm of their hearts. As they passed blackened store front windows, they remained a safe distance from each other. A few other wonderers, mostly foreign, would come down the street and give them greetings. But there was no ignoring the cross street that they'd come to. One led to where she was going and the other led to where he was. Two different destinations, but all coming from the same path.

"The train station is that way," Sasuke said, pointing in the opposite direction to where his feet were heading.

"I know," she told him.

They didn't say goodbye just yet. Instead they only stayed standing at the corner, him facing to cross the street, she leaning to continue where the sidewalk was paved. Daylight only had a few more measly minutes left, it dangled and hung at an edge. The last of the orangey sky about to disappear.

"You should hurry before you miss the last train." He told her. "That would be inconvenient."

She wanted to ask for whom it'd be inconvenient, but decided against it. He wouldn't have been able to give her a straight answer anyways.

"Will Sakura-chan call you again, tonight?" She asked him. "Sasuke-kun?"

He slipped his head back and looked up to the sky. There was a low groan erupting from his throat. From all the parting words that she could have asked, all she could think of was the girlish giggle that would echo through the thin walls of their boarding house. Fragilely, she wrapped her arms around herself and waited for a response.

But there was no rejection or confirmation, just a lift of the hand when he waved her goodbye.

"See you around, Tomato-chan."

* * *

**. . .**

* * *

_Deep, deep, deep apologies for not updating in a while. This chapter has been rewritten three times now. I'm still not quite happy with it, but figured it was about time to get something up or we'll never progress. Please enjoy what you can!_

_All reviews are much appreciated. And I give many 'thank you's to the ones I've already received and those assuring me to continue! Please continue to support!_


	8. 2-3: Daylight

**. . .**

* * *

**2.3: Daylight**

Black charcoal against white paper stained. The smudges on the sides of her hands wiped and smeared the well thought out lines. A gradient gradually started from pitch black to smoky to pure white. She hadn't known exactly what she was doing, only that the sketch was overtly plain and lacking in any emotion she thought she felt.

There was nothing.

* * *

"I appreciate the business girls, but do you really need to study here?"

Jiraiya customarily leaned against the door frame to the back. His arms and feet crossed as he comfortably sunk his shoulders deeper into the wood. There was a book of _hentai_ in his possession and in no way was he trying to conceal it. Casually, he turned the page, peering over to the four girls with textbooks, papers, and pens. Plates and cups were piled in a corner on the floor as they worked.

"You think I want to be here?" Temari remarked.

Jiraiya raised a brow.

"Sorry to bother, Jiraiya-oji-san," Hinata apologized. "The library is full and you can't bring food in."

Finals were a week away and the university was in a frenzy of worried freshmen, bemused professors, and overall stressed atmosphere. While it was known that summer holidays were to follow, all that their minds could think of were the strings of exams soon to come.

Hinata had always done better to study in the quiet of her own room. But in the middle of the day, between lectures, it was hard to find a moment of silence. The dorm was too far to predict when she'd be back on campus to attend class and anyone studying off campus usually had no real intent to do any revisions in the first place. Thankfully, the other girls took their studies as seriously as she did. Reading over her notes again and again, her mind would sometimes blank and roll over to another page without even remembering the content of the previous one. She sighed.

"No need to apologize, Hinata-san." Jiraiya boomed.

Jiraiya's little shop seemed to gather more customers during lunch time. But on off hours, it was empty again, leaving the girls a quiet space to study. The girls found themselves going there on occasion. While Temari was always wary of his overly friendly attitude and questionable reading habits, he was always ready with a quick meal and seemingly harmless attitude.

Ino spooned some curry into her mouth, nose deep into a chapter of her textbook on organic chemistry. Like all the other things that Ino seemed to do, her study habits were exaggerated and at times overwhelming. She mumbled phrases from her book over and over again – half of them Hinata could barely remember from introductory courses in high school. Sakura bit her lip while trying to copy a diagram. When it didn't come out to how she wanted, the pen went scribbling over it. She was more particular and hesitant with the way her fingers pressed against the paper, eyes darting back and forth, constantly scanning for an error in something.

A ding from Sakura's phone went off.

"Alright." Ino slammed her fist down. "If I have to listen to another stupid alert from your damn phone…"

"What do you expect me to do?" Sakura defended. While their nicknames (forehead and pig respectively) were used on most occasions, they tended to discard them in times of real annoyance. "We're in the same classes, what do you expect me to do? We always study together."

Ino's brow tightened. Fist clenched harder.

"Then you either get that ass to come over here to study, you go to him, or you just wait till later." Ino suggested, pure annoyance laced every word. "Because to hell if I'm the one who has to pick up all my things and leave."

Sakura and Ino made eye contact. A clear electrical current could have been seen between them as Temari kept herself occupied in her books. Hinata bit her tongue though already used to Ino and Sakura's constant rivalry clashes against each other. It was always one challenge after another.

Jiraiya for a while looked as though the pornography drowned out anything his customers could be doing. His hand reached down and brushed against the green of the walls. No one broke the connection between the two girls as Sakura allowed her fingers to type freely. A few_tips _and _taps_. There were no notifications after that. It didn't surprise Hinata. Both were stubborn, but Ino seemed to usually have an upper hand. She always had a prowling confidence whenever she made a challenge, looking over others with a sense of condescending glance. Sakura knew what she wanted and always knew the right words to say, but she was nicer than Ino. The girls fell back into their own worlds of studying right after. Sakura and Ino said no words to each other.

"Welcome!" was what called them out of their systematic trance. Not the door opening.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura greeted.

Hinata froze. The other girls looked up.

"Sorry to call you out, Sasuke-kun." She apologized thoughtfully.

"It's fine," he replied.

He didn't look bothered, only bored.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino," Ino introduced herself.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Was his short response.

"Temari." Was Temari's equally short addition.

Sasuke gave her a nod of recognition.

"So you're the mystery friend," Ino said. Her eyes gleamed with a sort of mischief, like a lioness. "You know you've been keeping us up every night."

Sakura eyed Ino disapprovingly. There was a double meaning in her words, but Sasuke showed no signs of being troubled by it. His stoic expression was ever resilient.

Pulling up a chair, he took a seat next to Sakura. His bag was set down, thumping onto the floor beside Hinata who – till then – had been keeping her head low. Not knowing what to do from the moment he'd come in till then, she jumped at the action.

"S-sorry!"

Sasuke raised a brow and looked over to Hinata. Their eyes caught for a moment and Hinata couldn't read his expression. Charcoal black and void of anything other than her reflection. She felt it was unsettling and raised the little hairs on her arm.

Her gaze shifted as she turned back to her notes. Pen and eyes down as she made no move to check to see if he was still staring. Though she had no need, she could still feel it. Chilling and clawing at her skin.

"So you are friends with Sakura… Hyuuga-san."

The statement caught everyone off guard. Sakura turned to the sound of her name, though she hadn't expected the addition of another.

"You two already know each other?" Came the obvious question. Sakura looked between them, unable to ignore the length of time which Sasuke had been staring. A pit formed at the bottom of her stomach.

"We're classmates." Hinata replied, if not a little meekly.

Lie in a truth. While technically they shared a similar class, Sasuke rarely came to it. Hinata knew where he was during those times, but every time she'd leave work, the lights in the bookstore were off. No open sign. Truly empty.

At times she even questioned if he really worked or lived around there.

"Oh, wow!" Sakura smiled. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Hinata wasn't sure if Sakura was talking to her, or the brooding presence sitting just beside her. Either way, neither responded nor gave any kind of explanation. But Sakura pressed on, rewording the question.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

While the lack of a response continued, Temari just rolled her eyes and went back to her books. Sasuke, needless to say, did something similar.

"So you were asking about chapter 5?" He said. One arm was placed on the table while he looked over Sakura's elbow.

"Oh, yeah." Sakura giggled. There was a blush playing at the corners of her smile. There was hesitance and quiver in her words. "I was just confused about this part, didn't the professor say something different?"

"Let me check."

Slowly, everyone gathered back into their own system of studying. Sasuke and Sakura whispered among themselves, cross checking notes and going over information from a shared textbook. They worked in tandem, like two levers, one pulling the other and the other pushing each other. Years of practice, it seemed like a perfectly established system – save for the moments of unnecessary pause. A space that even felt purposefully added, a space needing to be filled.

Hinata kept her nose down, not to be distracted.

When the door opened just moments later, Kiba stood with a bag larger than usual slung across his chest.

"Welcome!" Jiraiya came in from the back to greet the new arrival. "Oh, well if it isn't Kiba-kun. You don't come around here too often anymore."

Kiba laughed a toothy laugh.

"Sorry, haven't really been too in touch with reality lately," he said. "But recently, I've kind of missed your little green hole in the wall."

"No need to apologize," Jiraiya dismissed Kiba playfully. "Come whenever you have the time, you know I'm always open."

"Thanks," Kiba said.

Jiraiya, once again, leaned himself against the back doorframe, arms and legs crossed – relaxed.

"So how have your mother and sister been?" Jiraiya asked.

"Oh, they're both good." Kiba shrugged. "Hana's being a pain but, hell, what can I do."

"She's just looking out for you. Making sure you can take care of yourself."

Jiraiya had a fatherly tone in his voice. His expression was patient and jolly, though he still held a seriousness in his voice.

"Yeah, I know," Kiba agreed with a small chortle. "Oh, that's right. I remember what I came in here for, again. You think you can make me something quick to go? Haven't eaten all day."

"Sure thing!" Jiraiya was up on his feet again. "Wait here."

"Alright."

When Jiraiya left, Kiba just let himself relax. Hands shoved into his pockets he leaned back against the door. He looked around at the quaint little shop. Simple but comfortable. Turning, he looked over to the table with people, books, papers, and empty lunch plates. Till then, no one had really paid any mind to Kiba and his casual entrance. While at first, Hinata had felt like he'd come in to see her, but as the conversation had progressed, she felt more and more the fool for being so self-indulgent in the idea. When his eyes fell on her, she let a small and nervous gasp leave here lips.

"Oh, hey, Hyuuga-san." Kiba greeted with his usual toothy smile. Looking at the array of books and papers around her, he added in a little chuckle. "Studying?"

"Hello Inuzuka-san," Hinata greeted back. "Ah, yes."

Sasuke's head turned slightly. His naturally blasé eyed expression was playing on his face when he demanded attention be placed on him.

"Afternoon Inuzuka-san."

Kiba's attention shifted, almost surprised. He hadn't noticed Sasuke sitting, hidden by the other girls at the table.

"Oh, afternoon Uchiha-san." Kiba said with his usual friendly – though now slightly nervous – tone.

Jiraiya came out from the back in that moment holding a bagged bento. He was jolly as usual and his meaty hands roughly handed it to Kiba.

"Here you are, Kiba-kun."

Kiba came out of his momentary trance and remembered the thank Jiraiya with a small bow.

"How much do I owe you?" Kiba asked, pulling out his wallet.

"No need, just hurry onto class." Jiraiya offered with a light pat on Kiba's arm.

"Hey, old man," Temari called out. "You going to offer us a free meal?"

She cut into the conversation like she were a part of it the whole time. She didn't look like she were intruding either, just sitting and listening.

"You're really loud," Jiraiya said.

"I'm just trying to be fair." Temari countered matter-of-factly.

Jiraiya made a low grumbling but Kiba looked nothing but amused.

"No, she's right." Kiba said and reached for a few bills. "A service should be paid for. Here you go."

Jiraiya looked at the bills warily but took it anyways.

"Well, I should go now." Kiba announced. "Thanks for the meal Jiraiya-oji-san."

"Come by more often," Jiraiya waved off.

"I will." Kiba pulled the door open. But not before pausing to look at Hinata. He grinned. "See you later Hyuuga-san."

* * *

"Hinata-chan," Kurenai called from behind the counter.

"Yes Kurenai-san?"

Hinata had just gotten to work not long ago, her apron was already fully tied on.

"We're running low on some things, do you mind going to the corner to grab what's on this list?"

"Of course not."

Kurenai handed over a small slip of paper along with some money.

"That should be enough, if not I'll pay you back the difference." Kurenai said. "Thank you, Hinata-chan."

Hinata nodded and quickly took off her apron and went out the front. Kurenai usually had her do little errands, especially in the last couple of weeks when the back pain and swollen ankles made it harder for the older woman to do strenuous work. The swollen belly definitely looked almost about ready to burst and Hinata was always a little wary to let Kurenai do anything despite Kurenai's constant assurance.

The corner shop was relatively empty as Hinata went to find the first item on the list. The florescent lights made everything glow and shadow with an unnatural tint of grey. She looked around on the shelves and in the back, putting what she found and needed into a basket she'd picked up from the front. A few of the items were easy to find, being on shelf right at eyelevel. Others were more obscure, needing to keep a careful eye out for.

She had collected almost everything on the list. Just a couple remained. _To-go cups and Rainbow Toothpicks._

Hinata was bent down, checking out the bottom shelf that had plastic bowls and utensils. There were a couple of packs of to-go cups, but they weren't the ones that Kurenai usually used in the café. She continued down the aisle, squatting down. Then at the very end, she caught sight of the ones they used: brown with mossy and lime green bubbles on them.

Quickly, she grabbed a few packs and stood, almost knocking into Sasuke who was just rounding the corner.

"Sorry!" She distressed. "I didn't mean-…"

"It's fine." He said coolly.

She paused and peaked up at him through her bangs. There was an uneasy and unsettling feeling in the bottom of her stomach. He had left the study session with Sakura earlier that day without saying much or leaving any form of a pleasant impression. Ino and Temari had been less than impressed with his conduct but Sakura later insisted that the rude behavior was due to him being nervous, a common habit in front of strangers.

She hadn't thought she'd see him again anytime soon.

"You know, that was always an interesting habit of yours," Sasuke suddenly said, "staring."

The chill in his deathly empty stare sent a tingle down her arms. It was unreasonable for her to be so affected and nervous by his mere presence but she couldn't deny the urge to pull her fingers back up in a nervous tic, one she had thought she had outgrown. But she had also thought she'd outgrown her stutter. There shouldn't have been anything to feel affected by at this point. It had been years of unsaid and loose strings, left to hang and never be addressed. For five years of her life, she'd been fine with that. No… what really bothered her was how _unaffected _he seemed by their situation.

"Sorry," She said and looked away.

He sighed.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way." He clarified. "Just an observation."

"Sorry," she said, again.

He sighed, again.

"Are you looking for something?" He asked. "That's a full basket."

The remark was dry, the words seemed forced. It was a sad attempt at keeping a conversation.

"I'm picking things up for the café," she answered him. "I just have one more-…h-hey!"

Sasuke forcefully took the list from her hand and looked it over.

"Y-you could have asked." Her stammer was unintentional. Not at all expecting his actions she reached to grab the slip of paper like he'd done to her. It was childish. "S-Sasuke-kun!"

"Calm down," Sasuke said. Nodding once, he let the paper fall into her hands. "I know where to get the last thing on that list. C'mon."

Without saying anything, he turned and walked down the aisles. Hinata, at first, didn't move. Just stood frozen and feeling a little disoriented. But she came back to the present and walked a bit faster to catch up with Sasuke. The faster she could be out of that corner store…

"Here," he said and held up a pack of rainbow colored toothpicks.

He tossed them to her and she caught it clumsily. She fumbled but in the end was able to place them into the basket without dropping them. And that ended up being everything, she could go back.

"Thank you."

He just grunted and looked over to his side. Randomly reaching out, he grabbed a bag of assorted candies.

"Don't you have a boss to get back to?"

She was startled.

"Oh." She adjusted the basket and turned.

Sasuke followed close behind, the bag of candy rustling noisily at his side. Hinata tried to pay no mind to him and paid for the things. The money that Kurenai had given Hinata was much too little for all the stuff she'd been told to buy and she ended having to pay for most of it with her own money.

Leaving the store, Sasuke followed out close behind. Sun still high up in the air, it didn't feel anywhere close to being late.

"Are you going home or to work?" Hinata found herself asking.

While there was no benefit for her to know, she still found it necessary to ask. He had gone out of his way to help her multiple times now and the least she could do was act friendly.

"Work."

Still, there was a small uplifting feeling that came with that answer.

"I see."

Satisfied, she started to walk. He didn't wait to walk in step next to her. His candy was loud and obnoxious but she politely said nothing about it because it distracted her from the obvious truth: they had fallen into silence once again.

"How is your studying going?" She asked.

It was a safe question. It was normal and appropriate for their situation. There was no double meaning or reason to take it in the wrong direction. It was an innocent inquiry.

"You know she doesn't actually need my help."

"What?"

The statement was a surprise to Hinata.

"Sakura." Sasuke clarified. "She's smart, she doesn't actually need my help to study."

Hinata bit her lip. Nowhere did she find it necessary for him to tell her that. But still, she nodded and politely showed that she heard him clearly. A pit began to form at the depths of her stomach.

"It's just that we used to always study together, because it helped Naruto."

"Naruto?" She inquired. Not genuinely curious but more out of curtesy to her own sanity. Anything to vie the conversation in a different direction.

He paused.

"A good friend of mine."

Hinata nodded in understanding.

"But he's in America now." Sasuke continued. "Yet, Sakura still wants to study together, even though she doesn't need it. She'd actually do better without it."

"She has good intentions." Hinata tried to reason. And though it sounded like she were consoling him, it felt more like an assurance to herself. It did no good to either.

Shadows casted along the stretch of the sidewalk. The sun, if not blinding, was a little distracting and caused for her to blink and squint more than she liked. With hands full, it was hard to shield her vision. It burned with the burn in her stomach. Causing discomfort with every moment she remained under it.

Silence.

"You know she likes you."

"Do you think I need to hear that from you?" He snapped.

She winced. His voice hadn't raised but her body still curled and retracted as if she'd been burnt. It didn't lower either. There was no fluctuation in his speech. It came out straight like lighting a match, sudden and blatant. Annoyance and frustration laced his words, snaking between them as they dripped in venom. Something flashed in his eyes, filling the void space for a moment with something sharp and feral.

He stopped.

He hadn't noticed that she'd kept eye contact with him during their whole conversation…till now. Her eyes were cast down, lips parted and her hands up close to her chest in a protective stance. She seemed further away now to, like she had purposefully jumped to be out of range of his words and their stabbing pain. This kind of him was not him.

At least not the him she remembered.

He frowned.

"Tell me, Hinata…"

She didn't even look up to the sound of her name.

"Do I scare you?"

Her gaze moved slowly. Sluggishly, it dragged up from the floor to meet him. And what a moment ago felt like hostility in his eyes, she now could only see herself. A reflection of hollowness, an emotionless mask.

"Since when did you become like this?" She asked in a whisper.

* * *

That Saturday, while starting like most, was off. Business was slow that day, especially for a nice, sunny morning. There was nothing particularly exciting going on and Hinata found herself mostly just organizing ingredients and different bean roasts in some sort of logical order. When that was done, she'd just go and sweep the floor only to come back again to reorganizing the cupboard.

But something was a little different. Kiba arrived at his usual time, greased and stained like always. His blue jumper felt welcoming and warm. He smiled to her like he always did and sat in the spot he always sat. Kurenai was busy behind the counter and Hinata was always just within reach.

And he stayed longer than usual. He just sat, quietly drank his coffee, but didn't get up to leave when he was done. This time he stayed and waiting. Back bathing in the sun while he hummed for the time that her shift had ended.

"Don't you need to go back to work?" She asked him, concerned that he would usually only barely be making it back on time from his break.

"I can wait for you." He said.

"You don't have to," she told him, a look of uncertainty on her face.

"Don't worry, Hyuuga-san, my boss knows where I am." He told her, flashing his usual toothy grin. "I'll just wait outside till you're done."

And he did.

When she stepped out into the early summer air, he was standing in half shade. It was obvious he felt hot and discomfort but he made no complaints on how it took her a while to get out of her apron. Instead he just smiled and motioned for them to go.

Hinata said no words when she noticed the open sign on the book store across the street. It was just afternoon and the sun was teetering on the edge of its climax. Unremorseful as it beat down, summer was fast approaching and time had little sympathy for those who walked under it.

"I'm taking up more shifts at the shop soon," Kiba said. "After the semester ends actually."

"Really?" She wasn't sure if he wanted her to react to that statement positively or negatively.

"Yeah." Kiba had mid-tempo walk. He didn't really try to pass people or walk with the crowd. He just walked and allowed himself to weave in and out of the objects that happened to get in his way. "Boss says that if I can put in a few more hours a week, he'll give me a raise."

It sounded like a positive thing to Hinata.

"That's good." She nodded and smiled.

Kiba shrugged.

"It'll help out my mom and my sister, definitely." He said. "But it's still not going to be anything more than a part time job."

"Of course not." Hinata agreed. _Studies are important._

He nodded and twisted his neck to crack it and bit his bottom lip. He seemed agitated or nervous, not completely focused though not unusual for Kiba. But as they came up to the station, his behavior didn't really change.

They waited on the platform which had all sorts of people wandering up and down. Most of the seats in the shade had been taken by old women or children with mothers much like Hinata's boss. Stomachs swelled much larger than what seemed humanly possible. So the two decided to just wait by a lamp post. It provided no shade but again, Kiba did not complain. He seemed to have trouble just staying still. Feet tapped and legs shook. Hands played with the collar of his blue jumper, not minding that grease and oil now stained his fingertips. He was more preoccupied with Hinata who tried to fan herself with her hands.

"You know…" Kiba started. He gave a slight chuckle and wiped some sweat from his brow. "You know I'm kind of sad."

Hinata tilted her head in confusion.

"Why is that, Inuzuka-san?" she asked politely.

"When I take the extra shifts I probably won't be able to come get coffee at your work anymore."

He said it so nonchalantly that Hinata didn't know what to think of it. All she did was open he rmouth to form an 'o', a small acknowledgement that she understood.

"And starting next semester we won't share classes," he added, "will we?"

"Um…" Hinata thought. "No, I don't think so."

It was strange, now that it had been pointed out. The thought of the consistency that Kiba brought was hard to imagine without. The last few months felt mundane, but she could perfectly count on when and where she would find her upperclassman…friend?

"But we could still meet outside of class." Hinata suggested. "Get coffees in the mornings together."

"Yeah, I guess we could." Kiba smiled.

Hinata let herself smile back.

There was no feeling of sadness for this routine to end. But there was certainly no happiness. She could only think that it would be a little emptier, even if she could cope with it.

When the train arrived, it was already full. Business men returning from their lunches or going into their lunch breaks would stand and give seats for the old women or expectant mothers who boarded. But people like Hinata and Kiba, young and healthy university students, struggled to find a place to stand. One of the only available sections was by the window – in the sun.

A mixture of body heat and sweat made for an uncomfortable and humid environment. Add the radiation from the sun and Hinata was less than pleased despite not showing it. Her back rested against the warm Plexiglas. Kiba stood near, trying to make a small bubble between them and the people around them.

At this point, Hinata dismissed his nervous sweat for discomfort in the heat. The proximity was understandable. She turned her head to the side and stared out the window, watching as the scenery passed by them in a rush. At the next stop, more people exited the train than they got on, relieving them with some room.

"Hey, Hyuuga-san."

"Hmm?"

She turned to look at him. Just several months ago the whole city was blanketed in snow and ice, now it was blinded by the heat and humidity that came with the sun. Though Sapporo was not nearly as warm and muggy as Tokyo during the summer, it was still a terrible day for them to be standing in the sun.

"After exams, can I take you out to um…," He paused and nervously looked around. "…celebrate?" He scratched the back of his ear and peered over to her with wide and shining eyes. "For something other than coffee?"

"Something other than coffee?" She repeated slowly.

Even on her tongue the words didn't quite fit. The meaning behind such an innocent offer felt too heavy. Kiba continued to scratch the back of his ear and bit the corner of his mouth.

"Like a date." He said.

And though he said it the Kiba really said anything, with a playful and carefree bounce, there was still an obvious quiver at the end.

"Oh," was all she could say. There was no other immediate reaction. No shock or surprise, but it hadn't been something she'd been expecting either. She knew that his words meant something, but to her they felt like nothing. Air – thin, fleeting, and unquestionably just being.

"If you're not seeing anyone, could I?"

The sun through the train windows created a soft glow of red on his head. Falling over his eyes, he angled himself away from her just enough so she wouldn't see his nervous quake.

"Okay…"

He smiled. His shoulders, which had been tensed to his jaw, fell and relaxed. Like a weight being taken off, the tremble in his legs turned to something giddy.

"Hey, Hyuuga-san."

"Hmm?"

"If you have fun on our date, can you start calling me Kiba-kun?"

Hinata liked that about Kiba, she knew. His company was always steady and comforting. But to call him by his given name? She felt her face heat, and not just because of the sun.

It was reassuring to see that her cheeks suddenly turned a shade of pink matching his. It assured him that it had some kind of effect on her and that certain feelings weren't one sided. He laughed almost childishly but still tried to remain looked as composed as possible, despite the constant scratching.

"Okay."

He couldn't contain the wide toothy grin. Even with his best attempts to hide it.

* * *

**. . .**

* * *

_This is the end of Chapter 2 (Daylight)...I think... Yes, it is._

_As always, thank you to everyone who reviewed! Please continue to support (review) and anticipate the next chapter!_


	9. 0-3: Interlude

_**NOTE: **The personal opinion is not always truth. _

* * *

**0.3: Interlude**

* * *

The best thing about having a lawyer for a father is that you learn to never be wrong.

I've learned that wording is everything. Omission is key. Never add what is not true and never say anything that narrows down the number of correct possibilities. Set parameters with reasonable outer boundaries so that you're always in control, but make the person think that they are really the ones holding the reins. A good puppet masters are the ones that don't let the audience see the strings on the doll. The best puppet masters are the ones that make the dolls believe they are real.

The worst thing about having a lawyer for a father is that you are never right.

I've learned that wording is everything. Omission is the loophole. Not telling the whole truth opens a wide range of possible answers and allows that one answer be just as valid as your own – making you teeter on the fine line of clever or a liar. Boundaries are made to be stretched, tested. And it is only about time before they pop like children's bubble gum. Even the greatest puppeteers are just old men and women who manipulate toys.

Father was – and may still be – one of the greatest puppeteers.

"How was your day, Hanabi?"

_What was your score on the test today?_

"I got full marks."

"Good job."

_It should not be otherwise. _

"I know."

Even if it was never said to my face, I knew that the old women downstairs thought I was a spoiled and pretentious brat. But it never really mattered much to me what others thought. My life had little to nothing to do with them and their opinions had no say in how my life played out. When onee-san was around, it hardly ever mattered what others thought.

Onee-san had only left that morning, but the place in which she occupied in our shared room felt empty. She didn't take up much room. In fact, our room hardly looked any different than the moments before she left: a neatly dusted desk and vacant bed frame. Most of her things fit into the drawers of her dresser, away from sight.

But that was just Onee-san. She wasn't the kind of person who needed to be large to create a presence. She was just a part of my life, and her being there is what commanded my attention.

"You're hair looks really nice today," she would sometimes tell me.

I never really paid attention to it though, her little complements. Because I didn't really pay attention to much. I didn't care for aesthetics. They were unnecessary, distracting, and subjective. Father said that strong people don't care for such things. The walls in hour apartment were barren, counters wiped clean, and the couch never used. Onii-san followed this out of a sense of duty and I followed it out of a sense of not knowing anything else. But Onee-san was never like that.

I was beginning to miss that.

The emptiness that filled the halls of our apartment were often ignored; when I was a kid it was easy to do. But our apartment was made for a family of five…six.

Four bedrooms, two bathrooms. Twelve cabinets, and four closets. Twenty drawers and one large couch. Eight white slippers sitting at the front door. A round table with five chairs.

There are vague, distant memories of when each chair had been filled, and the table was accompanied with food, laughter, and conversations. I was young – still unaware. Silence was mostly what my childhood was filled with. Our mother died when I was eight and there was little to no laughter after that. Little to no conversation after that. The only father I knew, was stern, cold, and emotionless.

When Onii-san left, there had been a storm. Rain pelted down and swept down the streets in little streams. Our umbrella dribbled drops and Onee-san kept me close. We stood on the other side of the street, watching as our only brother made his way through the bustle of faces that shuffled through each other.

There was thunder and there was lighting. Flashing. Onii-san was gone before our eyes could adjust.

Father wasn't there. He worked late at the office on Tuesdays and Onii-san knew. I could distinctly remember that morning of the storm, the clatter of plates and cups hitting countertops was ear splitting. But still no one said anything, just allowed for their forceful hands to collapse on each other like water falls on stone. Doors may slam and foots stomp, but father nor Onii-san truly spoke a word to one another. That morning had been the first time I had ever seen either raise their voices so loud.

The first droplets of rain were heard patting against the windows.

"It's about time," father sighed. It was all he could really say afterwards. While Onee-san and I tried to go back to our breakfast, father stared out the window. The rain was getting heavy fast. "The clouds had been there for a long time."

We sat for a long time, just listened as the windows were assaulted. The rice turned cold and hard but we continued to eat like we had noticed nothing. Father touched nothing, only stared and sipped his mug of tea. Our apartment didn't have coffee. Like a good daughter, Onee-san was sure to refill it once he had finished. Only before quietly excusing herself.

Father said nothing, even though we both knew she was going to Onii-san's room.

Onii-san liked to keep to himself. He was methodical and brilliant, just like father wanted him so be. He had a logical head and a reasonable temper. I could remember on instances where he would show emotions rather than logic but that was only due to a lack of training. A lack of understanding exactly what father wanted of him. Sometimes he would grit his teeth or glare longer than he should have. He had brains but his heart was somewhere else. There was some misguidance. Father knew that, Onii-san knew that.

Yet Onee-san treated Onii-san all the same regardless if he was being methodical or emotional, she never thought him different than her Onii-san as well. Like seeing the same sunset every day, and every day the sunset comes just a little later and later, it is hardly realizable. It is the same sun setting every day.

Onii-san and Onee-san had always had a special bond. Something that I could not understand. The five year gap that was deeper than the void between our beds, Onee-san had lived another life before any of this I was sure. A life with a father who loved and showed them affection. A father who came home for dinner and told them about his day. A father who read stories or played games. A father who smiled.

So many things that kept the two of us apart, I sometimes envied Onii-san and Onee-san. Even as I lay on Onee-san's lap, my cheek so unnervingly close to her skin, I felt ever muscle twitch, could hear the blood as it rushed past my ears. Still Onee-san couldn't be further, just reading through school brochures.

"Do you think this place looks pretty Onee-san?"

"Of course."

"Do you think this would be fun?"

"Of course."

"Do you think this is cool?"

"Of course."

"Do you think this place is far?"

_Do you want to leave?_

"Of course..."

Once, when I had been waiting outside of Onee-san's classroom before going home, I had wondered how my school life would be like without her. She was going to move to the building across the way to the junior high there. Mother was still alive and though father was stern, I could remember he would still kiss mother on the temple.

And even if things were steady, I had this feeling of apprehension that this move was something that signified only the beginning of the things in my life that would change between us. But I would never voice it. Because I knew father wouldn't approve and mother would only tell me not to say such a thing to father. But if I told Onee-san herself… I couldn't think of doing something like that.

Onee-san had come on time as usual, out of breath because he ran to meet me. She would ask how long I had been waiting and apologize if I had waited long. I would always tell her that I was the younger sister, little emotion placed in my words. Still Onee-san apologized and encouraged me to go on. We would pass by the junior high and Onee-san made no indication she had noticed the large sign in front. But in the back of my mind, I always thought it was just to not upset me.

It was convincing the first few times that she had done it. But the trick could only go so far and by the time that I realized her real intentions I was already numb to her considerate way of complimenting and consoling me.

She was like mother, only she wasn't.

To this day, my memories of mother are vague, blurred, and biased. I only know what she looked like because of the lone family portrait handing above the couch. A ghost of a family that once was. That picture has been hanging there since my earliest memories and I've seen it so many times, every detail is etched into the stone that is my subconscious.

Ask me her hair color and I will say, "Black." Ask me of her eyes and I will say, "Dark brown." Ask me her about her skin and I will say, "Pale, smooth and free of any blemishes." Ask me her age and I will reply, "Thirty-three." Because the mother I remember so clearly and crisply in my mind is forever frozen in the time between wooden frames. Ask me what her voice sounded like? I couldn't say.

But even if I were to stare at that picture, so perfect and clean in the one desolate area of our apartment, day in and day out, "mother" is still only another word that holds no meaning to me.

When I'm not paying attention, and I allow my thoughts to wander, mother's face in that hanging portrait will sometimes change. Her long wisps of hair will grow thicker. Her face becomes rounder, eyes wider. A small freckle will appear just under her jaw and the fingers that held my infantile body grew thinner. "Hinata-chan looks so much like her mother," people would say.

I thought mother looked so much like Onee-san.

But I suppose, either way, that was why father looked so worn and torn when Onee-san had said she'd chosen to go to Hokkaido.

After mother's death, father could hardly control himself. There was no extravagant ceremony or long unfortunate speeches about her life and remembrance. It was only her three children and their father standing in front of a grave that held a mother and her dead child just beside. A brother who never got to breath this air was already being suffocated under two meters of dirt.

It was early January when I was told that mother had passed. The person who had told me was Onee-san and her usual stutter was quaked more than usual. Her eyes were brimming with tears and she had an uneasy smile on her face as she tried to tell me to pick out something nice to wear for the burial in a few days.

Onii-san had a heavy step. Onee-san dragged her feet. I tried my best not to step on their heels.

The four of us stood there behind our father, his shoulders slumped lower than I had ever seen them. But back still straight. He tried to keep what little composure he could keep, anything to hold onto anything to keeping himself from falling apart. Father was Japanese through and through, he prided himself on it. Father was not a man of physical affection. And so as he held his own hand even I could see how inexperienced he was.

The casket began to drop down. We suspected that father may have as well fallen with it, but he was too dignified for that. So there were no acknowledgments of the extra chair left at the table or cold bedside. There was no mention of the vacant room, left with a baby's cradle and toddler toys. Like a reflection, no one thought the lack of words were out of the ordinary. Father went back to work. Onii-san and I went back to school. Onee-san tried to go back to life.

When mother died, Onee-san tried to fill void she'd left.

If I needed a lunch, Onee-san would always leave it on the counter with a note filled with best wishes. She knew the days of my tests and exams. She made sure to come to all of my cultural festivals, even if they landed on the same day as her own. Onee-san was always ready with a hot dinner when I was hungry and a bandage when I hurt myself. She never asked me to thank her and she never said anything when I dismissed her. Instead, she would just embrace me.

When we were alone in our room there would only be quiet. But still she embraced me like a mother always should. And if I pulled away she would let me. Because after I would pull away, it was not long before I came back into her bed and just rest my head on her shoulder. As she did her homework. As she sketched in her book.

"What are you doing Onee-san?"

I had asked her. Mother was cooing in the new baby's room. Her belly swelled and ready to burst, she sang to it every night in a way that we could only dream mother would sing to us. Father was out late and Onii-san would be home from sports soon. Onee-san said nothing.

"What are you drawing Onee-san?"

The scratch of her pen came to a slow stop. Her head tilted up but she still said nothing. My chair was pulled against the back of hers and head tilted back to rest on her shoulder.

"Nothing…" She hesitated.

Onee-san was an average liar. Sometimes she was good and sometimes she wasn't. That day she wasn't.

I tilted my head back a little more, the back of my scalp pushing down on the crook of her neck.

"_Itai_!" Onee-san yelped.

Her hands moved so that she could close the book, leather bound. But it was too late I had already seen a glimpse of a boy: red eyed and black haired with a flow stuck into his mouth. It scared me, like she had wanted those eyes to just stare like they were undressing you.

Even if Onee-san was someone who spoke little, I always thought that her mind was not as silent as Onii-san's. Because Onii-san was so self-assured. He never asked without knowing the answer and never got involved unless he knew what he was getting himself into. Onee-san said he was always like that. His mind was organized. Onee-san's mind was not.

After Onii-san was gone on that plane, there was one more vacant chair. And still father went on with his day. He woke up at six to brush his teeth, use the restroom, and make himself tea. He would pick up some breakfast that Onee-san had made but never a lunch, because he worked through his breaks. At seven he would be off to work and arrive at the firm and be seated at his desk at seven-thirty or eight – depending on traffic. He never arrived home earlier than five, even then he would be home with a few more papers to look over or a client on the phone. He would lock himself in his room till Onee-san knocked timidly on his door and only then did he come back out to eat with the two of us. At least he did that.

But dinner was only filled with shallow conversation about how our days were or what we did in class. If Onee-san had a flaw, it was that she was oblivious to the other meanings behind father's words. When she tried to make the situation livelier, she would ask about father's day, about what he did at work. Father never wanted to talk about work. He wanted to talk to us. He wanted to know about us. But father didn't know how. He was father and father had his weakness, too.

Like everyone, he took and gave. Of course he took more than he gave but he still gave what little he knew how. Onee-san always gave more than she took. But she took. I knew she took.

Mother left holes in all of us. She left holes in the house, an empty bed and empty chair. Onee-san assumed the chores that mothers should only do. She filled the warmth that only mothers should give. She smiled at me, the only way I saw other mothers smile at their children. When Onii-san left, he tore a piece of our family along in his stride. His back turned and head held high, it felt like he knew the gap at the table would not go unnoticed. Or that his bedroom door had been left open, showcasing the vacant bed. But Onee-san had set his chair aside in the closet with our mother's. She filled his room with pictures of our family, of pictures Onii-san sent her through mail. She helped me with my homework just the way Onii-san did. She stretched herself. She stretched herself to be the mother and brother that we had lost. Even if she was none of those things.

And now that Onee-san had gone, it was getting harder to ignore all the spaces she had left empty. When she left, she took her space with her.

"It's scheduled to snow in the Sapporo area." I said in the car.

Tokyo traffic was stopping us from reaching the airport on time. Onee-san was getting antsy, her hands clasped her long jacket. They twitched.

"I packed enough scarves." Onee-san told father.

"Rather late for snow," I added.

Onee-san smiled at me.

"Seems to get colder, doesn't it?" She said. "This time last year it only rained."

Father was silent as he drove. His black gloves gripped the wheel firm and steady. He hated to drive, we knew, though he did it every day. The unpredictability of other drivers always peeved and scared him, the steering wheel was little comfort.

Out the window, we passed a playground. Children played, their hands flying into the air as they slid on slides or swung on swings. There were nannies and mother watching while sitting on a bench. Their conversation every so often would be interrupted by a child scream. Something small and so mundane caught Onee-san's interest. Something so simple made her smile wide.

"You don't remember Hanabi, but mama used to take us to that park." She pointed out the window. "You, Neji-nii-san, and me. She would take us there."

"How do you know it was that specific one?"

Onee-san turned at my question. She laughed and shrugged.

"I can't say." She admitted. "But I do remember that the three of us and mama would always go to a playground after school. You just learned to walk."

"That was a long time ago."

"Yeah," she mused. "You were so happy. Your favorite was the slide."

"I see."

"Once you fell," she said, "and mama came rushing so fast to your side."

The car began moving again. But Onee-san looked like her mind hadn't let go of that scene of the playground. Her eyes still stayed focus on the window. The trees were barren and ice hung on the roofs and frames of doors. But there was an echo of school kids playing and Onee-san sighed. Her breath caused the glass to fog and her reflection disappeared.

When we arrived at the airport, Onee-san was hasty to get her things from the back of the car. Father helped her with most of the heavier things but in the end her hands gripped the handles with an unnerving force. She strongly refused to have us go with her to Hokkaido and she strongly refused our help. She bit her lip and nodded small whispers of a goodbye. Father nodded.

Walking to me, she had all her things. The life she lived in Tokyo were being carried in bags around her. They weighed her down. But she bent in an awkward way just to be eye level. I was almost as tall as her, Onee-san was never a very big person. But her frail form was there in front of me, just for me. She didn't have to but she did anyways.

"I'll text you when I land." She said. "Be good."

And her eyes struck me. Hazel, gentle, and unwavering. Onee-san was demure, she avoided eye contact and avoided confrontation. Onee-san was always careful of her eyes, she loved to fixate them on the floor. Even as she was busy being a mother, a big brother… a big sister… she never stared. But our gazes held making me stiffen. A shiver flew up my spine and it was too easy to blame it on the chill of the wind.

I had forgotten her eyes. I had forgotten their softness. I had forgotten the way they pulled you in. I forgot that there had been a time when Onee-san did not hide her eyes.

A memory flashed, a time long ago. We played in a park and I had learned to run on my own. The slide was slippery from the afternoon rain. Too excited, I rushed up the steps, stockings wet from puddles that got in my way. The soles of my shoes were new, unworn, and inappropriate for spring showers. Something happened, and the world was swept under my feet. The floor became my sky and the sky became a vast vision of blinding blue. Mother did come to my aid. But before that, there was Onee-san's eyes. Hazel, gentle, and unwavering.

She put a hand on my head. Warmth. She tucked a strand behind my ear. Then she stood with effort. A clunk of bags as they shifted. There was only a nod before her hair whipped around behind her, leaving father and me standing.

Like Onii-san, she left. She left as I stood still by father's side.

A father who was not warm and loving or caring and attentive. A father who looked beaten, sad, and empty. I stood by the father who would continue to live his life like it were work, coming day in day out just to go beyond what was expected but ultimately make it known of his dread to walk the same warn path. This father had eyes made of hazel and regret. The lines across his forehead and down the sides of his cheeks let me know his wearing age though his back stayed rod straight with integrity. This father was cold and unforgiving. He rarely showed signs of affection and even rarer to do it out of personal want. He did not show more emotion than what was absolutely necessary and he did not speak more than he needed to. He was not a perfect father. But he is the only father I know.

So I stood by him. In that cold I stood – unmoving – beside him.

"Onee-san is in Hokkaido."

"I see."

_I'm glad she's safe._

"She will be moving in tomorrow."

He looked down and chewed on pickled plum. I bought it from the convenient store by the airport. The table was too big for only two chairs. The apartment – with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, twelve cabinets, four closets, twenty drawers, and one large couch. – was too large for the both of us. The ticking of the clock in father's room could be heard clearly from our place in the dining room. Father's fingers were slow as they worked their chopsticks, so careful.

"You are in the eighth grade."

_Five years till you, too, are gone._

"I am."

His chewing slowed. I averted my eyes.

"Tokyo is quiet tonight."

_How empty we have become._

* * *

**_. . ._**

* * *

_Itai: "ouch"_

_I hope you enjoyed this Interlude. Please continue to support!_

_All reviews are appreciated! _


	10. 3-1: Midday

_**CLARIFICATION:** It has been brought to my attention that some readers were confused as to why I described Hinata and the Hyuuga eyes as being "hazel". I would like to say that I am fully aware that canonly their eyes are colorless and pupil less, but seeing as this story takes place in the really world of today, I took artistic liberties to make their eyes hazel, the palest eyes non-albino Asians could genetically have. If you will also note that all characters with hair a different hair color other than dark brown/black are either described as being foreign or having dyed it (e.g. Sakura has her hair dyed pink). I hope this cleared anything up. Feel free to ignore the eye color detail though, it plays little importance to the overall story._

* * *

**Chapter 3.1: Midday**

* * *

The nerves that tickled the tips of her fingers distracted her just enough that she hardly even noticed the summer heat beating down on her. There had been nothing just a few moments ago, nothing but pure adrenaline as she filled out the last pages of her exam. But now it was finished and over with. It became all too clear that the lacy shoulders of her sleeve were extremely uncharacteristic of her – not to mention the shorter skirt. Of course there was always the sun to blame, but her dilemma this morning was not.

She had spent a good fifteen minutes more than she should have contemplating the clothes in her closet. There wasn't much. But then there was also the problem of her hair, to keep it up or down? It was usually pulled back loosely. She'd decided to keep it a little tighter and neater. It pulled at her scalp, uncomfortable but she would deal with it. The way her hair looked would – should – be the least of her worries.

This was her first "date".

This was her first, popper, real date. No quotations needed. But that wasn't what unnerved her. It was the fact that Kiba was being extremely cryptic, giving only a toothy smile or vague words when she asked for information about their date.

What to wear? Something comfortable, whatever she would like. Where? Meet at the front gates. When? Whenever your exam ends. It made her feel light headed and dizzy and her cowardice was tingling the surface of her skin. Approaching the front gate had her breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of Kiba's telltale grin. He looked no different than the last time she had seen him. His hair still stuck out in all directions, the scars on his cheek were a little redder from the sun's heat, and his tanned hands were shoved deep into his pockets. He rocked back onto his heels when he caught sight of Hinata.

"Hey." He waved.

She smiled at him and tried not to hide behind her bangs.

"Hello, Inuzuka-san…"

Kiba looked like he wanted to say something, anything. She was demure and the shaky smile didn't change that. But the words of something caught in his throat and only played out on his expression. Hinata saw relief.

"Ready to go?" was what he ended up saying.

"Okay," she agreed, "Where are we going?"

Kiba laughed but didn't say anything. Instead he just shook his head, indicating he wouldn't tell. Hinata stared up to him but tried to shrug the unnecessary unease in her stomach.

"So, how was your exam?" Kiba asked nonchalant.

"Not as bad as I was expecting," Hinata answered him. There was a nervous laugh when they left the front gates.

He was heading to the train station, following a crowd of people. Hinata walked a close step behind Kiba. There were hats being shoved one way or another and briefcases swinging about. But somehow they'd managed to climb onto a train the moment they had reached the platform. A push from behind and Hinata was forced into Kiba. He fumbled to catch her, but the blush wasn't missed.

It felt much like the time he had asked her out, only this time Hinata was fully aware of Kiba's intensions towards her. It made something in her chest skip. When there was enough room to put some space between them Hinata cleared her throat and took a small step back.

"I guess we couldn't beat the rush," Kiba joked. There was that quiver in his voice.

Hinata gave him the laugh he had been searching for and only shook her head. The train came to a rough stop and the doors opened with a hiss. Kiba motioned for her to leave along with a group of others. The summer sun blinded her out on the unshaded platform. A flutter of a feather breezed past her.

"This way."

Kiba motioned his way out of the station and into the streets. Hinata hadn't been to this part of Sapporo, ravines that divided the city were put together in bridges. The cars were stuck in traffic and the sound of angry honking could be heard. Hinata raised a small brow but made no comment. Kiba just seemed to ignore it.

But around the off roads, there were noticeably less people. There was actual breathing room. Walking beside Kiba was easier and felt more natural than it had back on the campus. The streets that Kiba led her down were different than the ones by the university or her work. There was something rustic and historic about the wearing walls and broken neon signs. The shadows cast into the narrower streets gave mystery and intrigue to the late morning. But the people who did walk along the same paths as them smiled and waved to each other, not really knowing the strangers but a friendly face helped business. It was obvious most of the doors lead to cheap restaurants with quick and easy food.

Kiba looked around and they turned a corner. At the end of one street, he entered through fabric hung on the door frame. She followed just behind. Inside was much more spacious than the outside made her believe, a full house filled with loud and laughing customers. Kiba waved to a chubbier man in the kitchen. The man waved back and motioned for a table in the corner.

She slid into the booth across from Kiba. He flashed her a smile and rubbed his clammy hands on the thighs of his pants. A woman dressed in casual clothes and an apron approached them, a pot of tea and cups in hand. She placed a couple of menus at the edge of the table. Kiba eyed the two cups nervously and offered to pour the tea himself. The woman just bowed and left with a little smile.

"What are you thinking of getting?" Kiba asked.

He fumbled with the menu. His eyes roamed over everything, sporadic. Hinata couldn't help but laugh and picked up the pot that Kiba had forgotten to take. A careful hand poured both of their cups only half way.

"What do you recommend, Inuzuka-kun?" She set the pot down and took a sip from her cup. It was green tea.

Kiba stopped. The half-filled cup was pushed a little closer to him and he gave her a toothy smile. The relief was in the way she watched him slouch just a little more into his booth. Like he had already made a home for himself, his gaze wandered to a specific location on the menu.

"This is great," he said.

Hinata couldn't suppress a smile. Kiba's eyes looked up and he found how she seemed to light up in the midday sun. The tugging at the corners of her lips made their way into small laughter. A very safe and warm feeling filled her, making their form into an image of a toothy smile. For once, she felt comfortable – stable.

"I'm sure it will be," she responded.

* * *

"Had your fill, Hyuuga-san?" Kiba asked.

His back leaned back, arms stretched behind his head. He gave a strained yawn and gave the small swell in his stomach a pat. Hinata laughed.

"It was very good, Inuzuka-kun. Thank you."

He smiled at her. He seemed less nervous, eyes bright and lively like usual. With good food he had eaten away the stresses of the week. Hinata could only say she felt more relaxed herself. The warmth of sun on her skin tickled, telling her summer holidays were really there.

"Where are we going now?" Hinata asked.

It was easy to walk along the flow of everyone else. Their pace took half a second longer to place than all of the business men and women hurrying to their next appointments. Even in Sapporo, Hinata could see the infectious symptoms of a world so obsessed with progress. But Kiba and Hinata just walked along with it at their own leisure.

"Surprise," Kiba finally answered. He laughed. "It's a surprise."

"Do I at least get a hint?" Hinata asked, skeptical.

"We're almost there."

"That isn't really a hint," she protested. "Can I have another one?"

Kiba merely shook his head. She eyed him but the smile didn't leave, just sat there and filled her.

When the crowds dwindled away and what was left were just a few people here and there, Kiba lead them to a store with puppy dogs playing behind a large Plexiglas window. It took a moment to process what she saw. When Kiba called her she quickly rushed in behind him.

"Inuzuka-san what are we-…?" She began asking.

There was _thump_. A large meter and a half dog had come rushing out from a matted door in the back, white pawed and brown eared it had all fours desperately clawing at a locked fence separating the front of the store and behind the register. Mouth barred back in a dog like smile and tongue dangling out of its mouth, Kiba laughed and casually walk over. Releasing the lock, the large dog came rushing out and pounced Kiba.

"Whoa there boy!" Kiba laughed. "Whoa, whoa, missed me that much?"

Hinata stared. Kiba ruffled the dog's hair with a glimmer of softness in his eyes. The tongue lapped at Kiba's face and neck till it wasn't only his eyes that gleamed with something else. When the dog stepped off, Kiba reached into his back pocket and pulled out a strip of dried meat. Hinata wondered if he often carried that around.

"This is Akamaru," Kiba said as he tossed the dried meat.

Akamaru happily jumped to catch it. Then the teeth worked to gnaw at the meat, Akamaru's head turned to get at it at a different angle. Hinata lifted a hand to her mouth when she laughed.

"He's so big!" Hinata commented.

"He really grew fast." Kiba nodded. Finding a place on the floor beside his companion, he patted the matted fur. "He was the runt. He could just sit on my head and I'd barely feel the weight. Then in just two years he grew a whole meter! Kaa-san was so surprised."

Hinata smiled and took a seat in front of the dog. As though just noticing her there, his head lifted, eyes staring deep into hers. She lifted a fist for him to sniff. Akamaru did so with hesitance, but after he licked his, Hinata felt comfortable scratching under his ear. Akamaru snorted and barred his mouth back in that dog smile once again. In a moment, she could almost see a resemblance to Kiba's toothy grins.

"Is this your family's store?" Hinata asked looking around.

The small room was rather barren save for the puppies playing in the front window. Pastel walls and cold tiled floors. There were several chairs lined up against the left wall, but even the hanging dog posters did nothing to fill the room. Hinata was having a hard time trying to figure out what they sold.

"Well, we're not really a store," Kiba said. He scratched Akamaru's lower back and the dog whined in pleasure and turned onto his side, legs splayed out as Kiba continued to rub his belly. Hinata joined. "It's actually a daycare for dogs."

"Daycare for dogs? There's such a thing?"

"Yup," Kiba confirmed with a smile. "People adopt dogs because they feel lonely, but in this day and age, they don't have a lot of time to take care of their dogs during the day. So they take them to daycares."

Hinata looked surprised.

"Oh, so is Akamaru…?"

She didn't even need to finish the question, Kiba knew what she was going to ask. He laughed and flashed her one of his toothy smiles.

"No, no," He said. "Akamaru is my dog."

"Sure as hell is."

A relatively tall woman stepped out from the back door. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and eyes held a gentle seriousness to them. She stood, dignified with her shoulders boxed and back straight.

"Hana-nee…" Kiba sputtered. "I thought you were taking today off."

"I was," Hana, Kiba's sister, deadpanned, "till Kaa-san decided she needed to run some errands."

Kiba didn't hide the nervousness in his laugh. Hana just rested her chin in hand and sighed.

"So who's your friend, eh _Ki-chan_?" Hana gave a devious smile and watched in amusement as Kiba's irritation bubbled quickly to the surface.

"Hana, you…!" Kiba stood. "I'm not a kid anymore so quite it with the nicknames."

The formality drop was noted.

"Yeah, yeah," Hana easily dismissed him. Her head tilted and the other hand waved off his tantrum as nothing more than that – a little tantrum. "It was a joke, a joke. Calm yourself."

Kiba muttered some incomprehensive words to himself, arms crossed in a pout. Akamaru went up to his owner's side and licked at his hand. He bent down to the dog and patted his head, continuing to mutter words to himself, but now it was obvious the agitated fuse was only reduced to nothing but an act. Hinata giggled. This childish side to Kiba made her feel something warm.

"I'm Inuzuka Hana," Kiba's sister said extending her hand. "You can go ahead and call me Hana."

Hinata reached to grab it, a smile on her face. Hana looked like a very capable woman, fierce eyes and strong voice. She looked like someone who could command authority if she really wanted to.

"I'm Hyuuga Hinata," Hinata said, "It's nice to meet you Hana-san."

"Hinata-chan," Hana repeated. "That's a pretty name."

"Thank you."

And though Hinata knew this sisterly charm Hana possessed, something about her words unsettled Hinata. Judging. Hana looked Hinata up and down, something analytical and calculating in her eyes made Hinata feel small. But it wasn't long before a smile with just a bit of tooth came up on the woman's face.

"Hey, Kiba," Hana called, her attention away from Hinata. "Why don't you help your dear Hana-nee out and take the pups out for a walk?"

Kiba's eyes drooped as he gave her a grimace.

"Isn't that supposed to be your job, bitch?" Kiba said in a low voice.

Hana just laughed. She pushed herself up off of the counter and reached under to pull out some leashes. She tossed them to him.

"Don't complain." Hana chastised. "You can take your girlfriend, too."

The heat that rushed to her face could not be blamed on the sun. Hinata blushed harder than she'd blushed in a while. Kiba was the same.

"Wait, we're not-…!"

It didn't matter, Hana had already disappeared into the back. It left the two of them and Akamaru in the front with Kiba holding a handful of leashes. The puppies barked and whined knowing full well what time it was. Their small paws clawed at their fence, they had gotten board of their rubber ball and itched to be out in the direct sunlight.

Hinata had had some trouble controlling some – many – of the puppies. Their spontaneous behavior had pulled her in all sorts of directions, from the ones too anxious to go further than the daycare doors to the ones too rambunctious to wait patiently at the stop lights. She loved animals, but Hinata had never really owned a pet of her own. Thankfully, after a while, Kiba took notice and took the spiraling leashes from her hands. Instead, she was simply in charge of Akamaru (who had already been well trained) and doggy bags.

Though despite the exhausting work, it never failed to lighten her heart when a child would walk by to ask if he could pet one. The initial hesitance then small acts of courage to reach out a hand made the summer heat just the more bearable.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much," Kiba teased.

"I can't remember the last time I smiled so much," Hinata admitted.

They walked off the train platform with the sun holding it's self directly above them. It seemed to go quickly, but the time had told them that Hinata needed to be at her job soon. It took a lot of power in her to leave that little daycare, the puppy's noses pressed against the window, tongues splayed out. She knew she had read somewhere that playing with dogs helped with stress, she just never really tried it till then.

"So does that mean you had fun today?" Kiba stuffed his hands into his pockets and continued walking just a little in front of Hinata. She comfortably followed just a little bit behind.

"Yes, it means I had a lot of fun," She agreed.

Pride swelled in his chest, but Hinata saw no arrogance or even confidence in his eyes. Instead, there was a breath of relief, a sensation of accomplishment. He grinned at her.

"I'm really happy to hear that."

Kurenai was just sweeping up the front of the café, her belly round and ankles plumped. Seeing her hunched with a broom in hand, Hinata rushed over and placed two careful hands on the pole.

"Hinata-chan!" Kurenai said in surprise.

"Afternoon Kurenai-san, I've got this, go ahead inside."

Hinata easily plucked the broom from the woman's hands and motioned for her to go inside. Usually Hinata wasn't so direct, but it worried her that even with the days coming so close to the predicted due date, Kurenai insisted on opening the café.

"Really, I'm fine, Hinata-chan," Kurenai insisted. "I'm pregnant, not useless."

"I didn't mean…" Hinata looked alarmed. Her eyes opened wider and lips parted in her gasp.

Kurenai started laughing. A hand on her swelled belly and other waving in front of her face, Kurenai's red lips were pulled into a smile.

"I know, I know," Kurenai reassured her employee. Then she gave a gentle look. "Thank you, Hinata-chan."

Without another word, Kurenai retreated into the café, turning the closed sign to open. Hinata let out a sign of relief. Temari had done similar things to the girls, too – pretending to be mad. Even still Hinata wasn't accustomed to it. She liked to think it was just the pregnancy hormones.

"Need help with that?"

Hinata jumped in surprise. She had almost forgotten that she had rushed from Kiba's side. He held out a hand to take the broom from her. His nervous air had returned. The offer was enticing, hot summer sun made the perspiration drip down neck and brow. The café was air conditioned and blistering sun made her skin tickle. The light in his eyes told her that he would do it if she let him.

"No, you should be heading to your job."

But it wouldn't be right or fair to him.

"Ah…" He nodded, a little disappointed. "You're right."

And there was his sad puppy expression. Large, furrowed eyes and a slightly sucked in bottom lip. His tongue just barely sticking out from the corner of his mouth. She smiled and humored him with a small giggle.

"Go, I don't want you to be late…" She hesitated. Her eyes shot down for a second as the words crept up her throat. Unnatural and sticky. "…Kiba-kun…"

Kiba stared at her. And even when he lowered his head and tried to shield his eyes from the sun, Hinata was certain that the redness in his cheeks were from things more than the sun. The toothy grin couldn't be hidden.

"Ah…" Kiba agreed. "Well, I'll see you later then."

"Okay."

And as he left, Hinata couldn't help but realize that "later" became indefinite. She didn't like it.

Trying to shake a sudden drop in her mood, she went back to sweeping the front sidewalk of the café. _Left, right, left, right, _the motions kept her busy. Busy enough that she hardly noticed the open sign just across the street.

* * *

"Here you go, Hinata-chan."

Kurenai held out an envelope with Hinata's name written on it. Her weekly paycheck always felt rewarding, accomplishing. She took it and put it into the pocket of her skirt. Taking off her apron, she quickly brushed out her hair. It had been a relatively slow day, not many people coming in craving hot teas or coffees.

"I like your outfit today," Kurenai commented. She eyed Hinata up and down, giving a nod of approval. "I think you look very cute."

She blamed the redness in her cheeks on the heat this time.

"Thank you, Kurenai-san."

There was a honk from outside the window. Kurenai's husband had pulled up and was waiting in the car. Hinata looked over to Kurenai who simply smiled and thanked Hinata for her time.

When Hinata close up the shop, he warm summer wind that came rushing by hit Hinata like a wave. Warm, humid moisture made her momentarily feel like she was floating, the ocean lifting her. But the redness of a sunset caught her attention when she realized that it was getting late. It would be a little terrifying to walk back to the boarding house in the dark. She turned.

Sasuke was standing there, his bag slung over one shoulder. His eyes were like stone but she could tell by the part in his lips that he was just as surprised as she was.

The humidity suddenly felt more like a wall, something that kept her lock and confused in place. If she had just continued on when she had first seen him, it was obvious she could have avoided an interaction. But would it have been so wrong to turn like she didn't notice him? They stood too long to know, he had acknowledged her. She acknowledged him.

She stood straight just at the same time he did, an unease building in her stomach. She noticed the shift in his stance, a shift she had initiated in her own feet. They both wanted to leave, but the pause came when they thought about their actions twice. Hinata bit her lip just as Sasuke gritted his teeth. They paused again. A car drove past them.

Silence.

The red in the sky was dulling as the sun was pulled lower on the horizon. Hinata broke their staring contest and turned her head away. It was childish to be so meek. But the actions she wanted to take were inhibited by a doubt that nestled deep in the depths of her mind.

"How do you think you did on the exam?"

Which one of them had asked that question?

"It was easier than I expected."

Which one of them had responded?

The summer winds were still warm and comforting. They blew and whisked her hair around the cheeks of her face. She struggled to get them under control, a hand placed its self firmly at the front of her skirt. A reason why she didn't like shorter skirts.

"You should wear a jacket." It was Sasuke. "It can get cold."

The words struck her as strange, but a feeling of nostalgia hit her. Summer was warm in Tokyo, but late nights were always chillier than expected.

"I'll remember to bring one next time." She said. "Thank you… S-…"

She stopped her voice. He didn't notice the hesitation. At least he made no signs that he heard the beginning syllables. Instead he grunted. They had gone back to this silence.

It was a short, almost inaudible sound when he walked away. There was a drag in his step that she had never seen before. His back seemed so small despite him growing so big. It felt far away, distant, and cold. There were no sentiments or words of goodbye, he just walked off after locking up. Hinata bit her lip again, but somehow he managed to refrain from copying her movements. Or she had refrained from imitating his. He had pulled his arms up to wrap themselves around each other, his back hunched over, trying to block the heavy wind.

* * *

"Hey Hyuuga-chan," Temari called from her place on the couch. She was drinking some soda and reading a news magazine she'd picked up from the convenient store down the street.

"Morning Temari-chan," Hinata greeted meekly.

The boarding house felt oddly deserted. Hinata and Temari were the only ones who hadn't decided to go home for the summer holidays. Without Ino's lion like prowess and her constant bickering with Sakura, it had become too quiet around the house. Their first weekend alone together had made Hinata miss the two girls and their superficial talk, making her almost wish that she had taken up Sakura's offer to return to Eniwa. She immediately cursed herself for such a thought.

"Any plans for today?" Temari turned the page in her magazine. Her eyebrows raised.

"I'll be heading out, again."

"I thought you didn't work Tuesdays."

Hinata went to grab an apple from the counter.

"I…" She hesitated. "I don't. But I thought I would go and check in on Kurenai-san. Maybe help out a little more, since she's so close to the delivery date."

Hinata started cutting the apple into small bite sized pieces. Temari watched her for a moment, but eventually went back to her magazine and soda.

"You're a saint, Hyuuga-chan."

"I don't really think so," Hinata tried to laugh the compliment off.

When she'd finished her apple, Hinata slung her bag around a shoulder and headed out. She had gone back to the long skirts she was more accustomed to. It was harder to move in with the summer heat and humidity, but it made her feel more at ease. The train she needed had arrived just the moment she had gotten on the platform, a sigh of relief escaped her. And as the train left her station, with the sun shining bright into her car, Hinata couldn't help but feel like the day was going to be different.

It was getting easier to navigate herself through the crowd. After doing it several times, walking with the flow of everyone else just became natural. There were no second thoughts or glances of uncertainty. When she saw the daycare at the corner, it was a joy to see the puppies press their noses against the glass and affectionately bark just at the sight of her coming. Their tails wagged and their play ball left rolling around.

"Oh, Hinata-chan." Tsume, Kiba's mother, noticed the girl as she walked in. "Kiba is in the back if you need him."

Just then, Akamaru came rushing out of the back door, tongue out and mouth wide open. The dog crashed into the door as always but didn't miss a beat to start clawing and whining. Hinata laughed while Tsume sighed.

"This dog is so headstrong," Tsume said, "He never learns."

In a quick movement, she opened the gate and Akamaru come rushing out. Pouncing up on Hinata he started licking her face and under her chin. Slobber getting all over her she laughed and tried to get the dog back down onto all fours.

"Yes, yes, good to see you too Akamaru," Hinata giggled. When Akamaru finally got off her, she started rubbing him under the ears. "But you know I don't have any treats for you."

"It's okay, that dog will love you or hate you regardless if you give him treats or not," Tsume said.

Kiba came rushing out, a frantic look on his face. Akamaru had rushed out so suddenly he had been completely trampled over by his own dog. But seeing Hinata there, he couldn't help but smile.

"Trying to steal my dog from me, Hyuuga-san?" He joked.

Hinata looked up. She smiled.

"Maybe just a little." She joked back.

Kiba flashed her a toothy grin before pulling out a piece of dried meet from his back pocket and whistled to Akamaru. The dog immediately turned to face his owner. When seeing the piece of dried meet, there was a spontaneous change in loyalty as Akamaru went rushed straight for Kiba's hand.

"You're all sweaty," he commented. "Or is that just dog spit?"

She lifted a hand to her face, it was indeed wet.

"Both," she said sheepish, "it's hot."

"Catch," Tsume called. She tossed Hinata a rag from underneath the counter which was caught in a fumble.

"Thank you, Inuzuka-san."

Hinata started to wipe the mix of sweat and slobber components off her face. The rag had an old musky smell but she said nothing, she couldn't have smelled any better.

"Hey Kiba, why don't you take Akamaru out for a walk to the park." Tsume suggested. "Poor dog has been pent up in here all morning."

"Alright," Kiba agreed.

Kiba went into the back to go find Akamaru's leash his arms crossed behind his head whistling. Akamaru fallowed along behind him.

"Why don't you go with him," Tsume told Hinata. "I know how much you've taken to little Akamrau."

Considering Akamaru's size, Hinata could only guess it was a joke. She didn't respond but laughed. When Kiba came out, Akamaru happily walked beside his owner with his tail wagging.

"See you in a bit," Kiba said passing.

Tsume just rolled her eyes and lifted herself off the counter, heading over to check on the puppies in front. Hinata stood awkwardly, unsure exactly what to do. Her feet started fidgeting together. Tsume looked back, a very exhausted look on her face. There were so many signs of Kiba in her features, Kiba was practically a spitting image of his mother.

"Kiba, your girlfriend is coming with you!" Tsume shouted unapologetic to her son.

Kiba, from just out the door, froze as Akamaru gave him a confused whine, wanting to know why they'd stopped walking. Hinata in the past several visits had become accustomed to the woman's constant teasing but still managed to open her mouth slightly in gape. They both sputtered some words of incoherence but Tsume paid no attention to them.

"You should go, Akamaru is getting antsy."

She winked to Hinata, who – while a little shaken – only nodded. Quietly, she followed Kiba and Akamaru out the door, trying to compose herself. Kiba said nothing more.

The park had been closer than Hinata expected and Akamaru had ran off to chase some unsuspecting birds as soon as his leash had been relinquished. Kiba went off somewhere else, leaving Hinata alone on a bench in the park. She watched the poor birds as they flew up in frenzies to be freed from Akamaru's little chicken hunt. He barked happy in the face of a pigeon or two that would not fly away, then get bored and roll over to chase a few more winged creatures.

Hinata laughed and remained slightly amused.

"I hope you like vanilla," Kiba said.

He had come back, ice cream dripping in both hands. It surprised her and she swiftly reached to grab one cone from his hand. He gave her a thankful look before sitting down and licked the ice cream off his hands. She handed him a napkin from her bag.

"Thank you."

"I should be saying thank you," Hinata said. "How much was it?"

"Doesn't matter." Kiba stretched his arms out, almost dropping his scoop. "You don't have to pay me back."

She looked at him uncomfortably but said nothing. Just another 'thank you'.

Akamaru came running past, energetic as his attention had now been turned to a group of other much smaller dogs. Both Hinata and Kiba laughed watching as the small dogs cowered at Akamaru's sheer size. But Akamaru's friendly eyes and happy tail wag didn't stop the dog from continuing to chase his new found friends in what he thought to be a little game.

"He sure has a lot of energy." Hinata commented with a smile and looked over to Kiba.

There was a distant look in his eyes like he was thinking about something really hard. Cheeks flushed red, he was letting the ice cream drip down his hand again.

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata said gently. "Kiba-kun, is everything okay?"

He bit his lip.

"Hyuuga-san, you know how my mom and sister joke and call you my girlfriend?" Kiba had that nervous quiver in his voice again. "Does it bother you?"

Hinata hadn't been quite ready for the question, her eyes widened and she looked away from him. There hadn't been much thought about it on her part. She simply took it as playful banter and something she couldn't really avoid.

"Does it bother you?" She countered the question with the same one he had asked. It was a stupid way to go about answering, but it was the best she could do in that moment.

"No." Was his blunt response. "It makes me kind of happy actually."

She pressed her legs together and grabbed a bunch of her skirt. Her heart beat a little faster knowing exactly where this was going. She didn't know if she was ready to hear it.

"Hyuuga-san-…"

"You can call me by my given name now." She said quickly. Her heart pounded against her chest, embarrassed at such a sudden request. "It only seems fair since I call you 'Kiba-kun', now."

He hesitated. From the corner of her eyes she saw as he got redder.

"Hinata…chan…" He tested the name out. It was slow, sluggish, and rough as he said it. "I…like you."

And there it was. Her chest was painful hearing the words. She didn't know how to classify this kind of unsetting unease. Flutters and feelings of a pit forming in her stomach, was it repulsion or a strange form of anticipation?

"D-do you want to t-try…?" She stopped, annoyed with her stuttering. Her hand gripped harder at her skirt. "I mean, we could try."

There was a silence.

Turning her head, Hinata saw as Kiba's face had turned a shade that may have put the sun to shame. His lips was being gnawed at and a hand gripped the bench in a deathly grasp. Kiba's arm was shaking.

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata said in worry.

"It may not seem like it," he started, "but I'm really happy right now."

She blinked. A pit in her stomach was still forming, a feeling of unusual unease and apprehension filled her. But still she smiled at him. She didn't doubt that he was indeed truly happy.

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_Thank you to for all the reviews! Every single one is appreciated._

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	11. 3-2: Midday

_**NOTICE: **This chapter is especially shorter than the others. Further apologies and explanations will be addressed at the end. Enjoy!  
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**3.2: Midday**

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"Did I make you wait long?"

Kiba came running from the train station in a hurried stride. Careful not to bump into the pedestrians in his way, he came up to Hinata sweaty and out of breath.

"No," Hinata said and smiled, "I just got here early."

"Sorry," he apologized anyways.

Summer was coming to an end. The heat hadn't let up, but with school to be back in session in the coming week, there was still the usual feeling of time lost. Hinata and Kiba had been spending more time out together – doing more things than play in his mother's dog daycare.

"Have your board mates come back yet?" Kiba asked when they turned a corner. Familiar old shops started popping up beside them, the faded colorful banners handing high over their heads.

"Ino-chan has," Hinata said. "Sakura-chan is still with her parents. Though I think she's coming back tonight."

"I'm guessing it's not as quiet in your boarding house anymore."

"No, it isn't," she agreed, "but I don't really mind. I was beginning to miss the noise."

Kiba laughed. She liked it if she could make him show his teeth so freely. The words that came from her mouth weren't particularly funny, but Kiba always smiled like it was the most enjoyable thing in the world.

The restaurant was busy with business men and accounting women. Their heads were dipped low into their meals, not paying any attention to the young couple who entered. Kiba lead them to a booth in the corner, a usual spot. Hinata slid in and when the tea came, she poured it like she always did. The green tea leaves swirled and calmed the late summer heat.

"How's work? You seem more tired than usual." Hinata looked at him with concerned eyes.

"Oh, it's nothing," Kiba assured her. "It's just that I'm trying to get used to this new schedule. Hardly anyone works morning shifts but everyone brings their cars in before they go to work."

Her lip lifted sympathetically.

"Ah," Kiba sighed, his arms raising in a stretch over his head. "I don't want to talk about work."

"Then what do you want to talk about?" Hinata giggled.

He paused to think. His hands fell to his sides and lips scrunched. Hinata laughed a little louder. The pit hadn't come again in the last several weeks. She feared that it would every time Kiba would call for a lunch date, the deepening, dark hole that had formed in the center of her that day they'd agreed to look at each other seriously. It was getting to a point where it felt like an uncomfortable dream from some time ago. Now she just felt at ease and calm, natural – like the green tea she sipped.

"How about you," Kiba suddenly said.

"What?" Hinata's eyes widened.

"How about we talk about you," he repeated. "I want to talk about you instead."

"M-me?" She sputtered in disbelief.

"Yes." Kiba gave her a look she couldn't deny. Like a puppy begging for a treat. "You."

She hid her face in playful embarrassment. He laughed and motioned for her to remove her hands. She laughed along with him.

"Okay…" A little nervousness in her voice. "What about me do you want to talk about?"

"Let's start with…" he paused for dramatic effect, "…You're classes. What classes are you taking after summer?"

"Oh, so that's what you want to about?" Their food came in two steaming plates. Setting down, they thanked for the food and started eating. "You know you could have asked the question directly."

"What?" Kiba said with a mouthful of pork. "Your expression was really funny just now."

"I thought you were going to ask for something more personal," Hinata admitted. Her lips made a small pout. "That wasn't very nice either."

"I'm sorry," He said with a playful conviction. But his laugh was not suppressed well. "We'll get to the more personal things eventually. I'm trying to build a trust with the simple things first."

She couldn't hold in the small laugh at the sight of his toothy grin, covered in sauce and rice, widely beamed at her.

"I'm taking an economics class, a statistics class, calculus, and a general education course of some sort. I can't remember very well." She picked a carrot up off her plate and watched the steam fly off it. She let it hover just in front of her mouth and blew gently. "But I think that will be less fun."

"Wow," Kiba blinked in disbelief. "Really the math queen I'm dating. Please work hard."

She tuck a tongue out at him, but immediately retracted it. Her embarrassment showed in the hue that crept up her cheeks.

"Well I am an economics major." She reminded him. "I don't mind mathematics."

Kiba smiled at her.

"I know."

She looked up. He stared at her, food untouched and chopsticks placed across his bowl. His head rested on a fist but his eyes fixated on her, gleaming. It made her look away for a moment, uncomfortable under such intent.

"What?"

"Nothing…" He said with a laugh.

"Really?"

"Really." He echoed her words.

There was a lingering stare. He beamed at her, with a soft glowing light from the window beside their table. She just went back to her meal.

"How about you?" She asked. "What classes are you taking?"

"No," Kiba interjected, "we're talking about you."

"But-..."

He made a gesture for her to stop talking. A single finger that she couldn't seem to deny. She did her best to pout. But his wide, infectious smile had her muscles tugging at the corners of her lips. Even when he - not so inconspicuously - placed his carrots onto her plate, she was smiling as she chastised him about eating his vegetables.

"So what about work?" He asked, finally picking up his chopsticks.

"You want to talk about my work?" She giggled. He nodded. "What about it?"

He shrugged and stuffed a few pieces of meat into his mouth.

"How has it been going? Any weird stories to tell me?" He asked and looked at her expectantly. "Anything really… How's Kurenai-san doing?"

"She's doing fine." Hinata was quick to answer. "Her back has been hurting more, though it's expected with a stomach so large."

"She hasn't taken maternal leave yet?"

Hinata shook her head, a worried look in her eyes.

"She keeps telling me that the baby isn't due for another two months but…" Her voice trailed off with her eyes, "When I ask about what the doctor says she tells me that."

Kiba made a low hum. He chewed and swallowed.

"Well if that's what her doctor says, they would know better than us."

Hinata was reluctant to agree. Though she would be first to admit her ineptitude in medical knowledge, what her eyes saw always looked like a water balloon that had been over filled.

"I'm actually thinking of quitting." She admitted.

Kiba slowed his chewing and raised his head from his bowl. The puffs in his overstuffed cheeks would have made her laugh had she been looking. Her fingers tapped against the side of her bowl and worked in rhythm to her heartbeat.

"How cruel," Kiba teased.

"Not till she's settled with her baby and everything, of course." Hinata clarified, her eyes giving Kiba playful warning stare. "I've already talked it over with Kurenai-san and I agreed that I would work for her till the end of my first year."

She poured him some more green tea, the cup steamed.

"What brought that decision on so suddenly, I thought you liked working for Kurenai-san?" He gave her a grateful nod and took a sip. "And don't you need the money to pay for rent?"

Steam rose from her own cup. There was something so neutral and calming about the color. She liked the way the tea leaves swirled when she took a sip, how it ran smooth and warm down her throat. Green was unattached and grounded in the world that it was apart of, even in the beating heat of summer, it kept her head steady.

"I like Kurenai-san." Hinata smiled. Her eyes clouded, a distant stare into the crowded restaurant. A couple and their child happily sat together on the other side of the room, their food had not yet come. The mother folded their napkin, neatly and finely. One on top of the other, the layers built in shapes and geometric patterns. Her fingers worked diligently. "I really do like her, she's taken care of me really well in the last six months. Maybe I'll go back to visit and see her son or something."

The mother finished folding. In her hands was a limp origami flower, held out to her baby who giggled a toothless giggle. Gums exposed, laughing like there was no other joy than that simple little flower. Hinata turned to look back at her tea.

"I just realized that I can't continue working there."

Shaking off the pit that was forming in her stomach, Hinata looked back up to Kiba. She tried smiling at him. The corners of her lips pulled a little awkwardly, but still came up in some kind of semblance of something that belonged to her. She sipped her tea again and Kiba went back to talking about his work.

* * *

With the last bits of summer hanging onto the Sapporo air, Hinata wiped the sweat from her brow as she stepped off from the train. Working in the movie to their date had been fun, but may have made Kiba tarty for his work. Her hands were a bit clammy from the way he had tentatively held them. In the darkness of the theater there had been a slight brush and a small tap.

At first she hadn't realized that it was his fingers, so ginger and sensitive. She only realized it was him when the callouses were nudging at the back of her palm. She gulped and noticed a flash of red on his cheeks. But still she turned her hand over and allowed it cradle his, their fingers clumsy and rough. It wasn't the first time they'd held hands – but it was still the second. Testing and seeing, the sensation of grasping onto someone. Hinata did not feel a spark, but she felt his warmth.

There had only been a quick goodbye but she didn't mind. Walking down one of the many Sapporo streets, she was welcome to the change in scenery. From the bustling and hectic buildings from where she and Kiba had their dates to the quitter and less indulgent area where she worked. Most people were more inclined to stay out of the heat. They stayed indoors and minded their own business. She walked alone under summer sun.

While Kurenai usually swept the front before Hinata came to work, Hinata had pleaded that she stop, at least till after she had had the baby. Kurenai was stubborn, Hinata knew, but agreed willingly. It was something small in comparison to the work that she usually did around the café.

Entering, there was an empty silence. No clinking of cups or a sound of running water to fill the coffee drip. The door had been unlocked, panic filled her in thinking that she had maybe forgotten to lock up the night before. She closed the door and stepped further in. At first glance, nothing seemed out of place, the chairs were in order and tables spaced in the way that Kurenai always wanted. There counter top was wiped neatly and small heat lamps over the pastries turned on. She could even smell a faint smell of herbal tea.

There was a crash following a scream.

Kurenai's voice echoed in Hinata's ear as she rushed into the back. Her bag dropped the floor, carelessly tossed somewhere – unimportant. Running into the back her head whipped around searching.

On the floor, Kurenai was down on her knees, body bent forward on her swollen stomach. Her back faced Hinata and a hand gripped the counter top. There was broken glass shattered around her, a plate and cup jagged from the fall. Kurenai let out a few frustrated gasps and a wale.

"K-Kurenai-san!" Hinata was frantic as she knelt by her boss's side.

"Hinata-chan…" Kurenai managed to squeeze out. Her brow was sticky in sweat, her breaths were short and strained. "I think… I think…"

Her face contorted. She bit her lip to keep from screaming out but only managed to bite back a frustrated groan. No words needed to be said, Hinata already knew.

She was short of panicking, her mouth opened and closed between trying to calm herself down and reassuring Kurenai that things were going to be okay. The older woman took a glance at the girl as she looked around. The phone was on the other side of the kitchen. Her feet clumsily stood but slipped on the glass. She hissed at the pain of a piece of a cup jabbing into the palm of her hand and through her skirt. But the phone was barely in reach. She rushed to grab it.

Her fingers tapped nervously against the counter, her eyes focused only on Kurenai and her silent groans of pain. How had it come on so suddenly?

When the emergency line went on, Hinata was quick to not even allow the operator to finish.

"I-I need an ambulance," she said frantically, "My boss…she… Her baby. She's in labor and…"

Kurenai screamed out.

"I need an ambulance!"

After grabbing the details of their address, Hinata couldn't help but try and call Kurenai's husband. The line never picked up. Her lip was raw from being bit so much and Kurenai's contractions were coming closer together. She swore the time between each one would shorten by the most fraction of a second, yet her imagination was so convincing. The tension in her throat grew and it felt raw. Doing what she could, she helped Kurenai up, being wary of the glass around them.

Taking her out to the front, she sat her down on the chair closest to the door. The squeeze that Kurenai gave her shoulder was piercing and gripping, her breaths were like silent screams.

"Kurenai-san, you'll be-…"

"I'm fine, Hinata-chan," Kurenai said through her pinched expression. A look of pain and followed by another groan.

Hinata felt her heart as it tensed just watching Kurenai in pain. She felt the pain and she felt the unnerving tension in her hands as she gripped them in an attempt to calm herself. To rid herself of feeling so helpless. Not knowing what to do, she tried dialing Kurenai's husband again. The busy line was not reassuring. The thumping in her head mixed with the ringing on the phone and Kurenai's intermittent screams, nothing was easing her nerves.

When the ticking of a clock behind the counter became too unbearable to hear against the sound of the Kurenai's pained voice, she tried to lead Kurenai in some breathing exercises. Never mind that she had no clue what she was doing, but regardless it allowed her to think that she was helping in some way. The breaths came in short bursts and there was a groan ever so often, but it kept them both busy.

The sound of an ambulance as it pulled up to the side of the street came as a relief. But only for a moment when Kurenai let out another blaring screech. The table she held shook. With paramedics rushing in, Hinata watched them steadily place her onto a gurney, eyes shut and hands clamped over her stomach. Hair sticking the sweat on her face and neck, the veins looked like they were ready to pop like the swell in her abdomen.

"You made the emergency call?"

A paramedic approached Hinata.

Unable to find her words, she quickly nodded. Her mind raced and hearing muffled as even the panic was hard to be rid of. She barely heard as the EMT asked for her to come along with them into the ambulance. It took half a beat for her body to respond, rushing out of the café and following after Kurenai and her gurney.

As they loaded Kurenai onto the back of the truck Hinata watched with worried eyes. Kurenai let out an ear splitting screech that echoed down the street. People were already gathering outside of their shops, looking on with curious eyes. Everyone knew that Yuuhi Kurenai from the sweet's bakery was about ready to burst, they seemed unamused when she finally was. Hinata bit her already bleeding lip.

"What's going on?"

She whipped around to the voice behind her.

"Sasuke-kun…" she managed to say.

Sasuke stood with eyes fixated on the ambulance and team of paramedics as they carefully loaded a screeching woman into the back of an ambulance. He looked down at Hinata's panicked expression. His eyes winded a little.

"Your hands… they're-…"

"Sasuke-kun… I-I need you… In the café, Kurenai's husband's work address…" Her words came out in jumbles, fast and almost incoherent. Her bloodied hands clasped onto her chest and breaths were shortening. They came out choppy and heavy. "D-Downtown Sapporo… He won't answer!"

"Miss, please come with us." One of the paramedics approached her again, placing a hand on her shoulders trying to guide her.

"B-but…" She looked around, frantic. The shake in her voice was obvious.

"Miss, we need you to stay calm."

"I-I need t-to…"

"Go Hinata," were Sasuke's blunt words. "Don't worry, I'll try and contact Yuuhi-san's husband."

As though the words were her saving grace, Hinata's breaths still came out ragged, but her eyes stopped darting so hysterically. The tremble in her lip slowed and she was able to swallow a bit of her nervous energy. Nodding in understanding, she allowed herself to be lead away and put onto the back of the ambulance with a tense faced Kurenai. Taking her employer's hand, it was clammy and wet with a mix of stickiness from her own blood, but Hinata wouldn't let go of it.

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_All reviews are appreciated!_


	12. 3-3: Midday

**_ANNOUNCEMENT: _**_I recently started a tumblr (lucyditty dot tumblr dot com) and there you can ask me questions about anything really (updates or random questions alike). _

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**3.3: Midday**

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"Miss, we need to ask you to stay here."

The medical assistant's voice was even yet final. With eyes of a professional, it was hard to squeak out a protest. All Hinata could do was hold her bloodied hands to her chest in attempts to keep from quaking too much. Looking at the shivering girl, the medical assistant sighed and motioned for Hinata to follower her to a counter.

Antiseptics stung, but the pressure and weight in her heart was keeping her in a state of numbness. The chaos around her of the problems of others bothered her little, she could only look ahead at the neutral and bland painting handing across from her seat in the waiting area.

"Hinata."

Hinata looked up at the sound of her name. Sasuke came rushing in behind a frantic Sarutobi Asuma. His mouth twitched in frustration, looking quite barren without his customary cigarette hanging out of it. She stood, hands pale from being clenched so hard.

"Hyuuga-san," Asuma addressed her, "Where is-…?"

"S-Sarutobi-san!" She yelped. A pathetic croak erupted from her lips and she panicked.

Hinata's eyes were darting from direction to direction. The pseudo-calm she had been able to lull herself into was breaking. Seeing the face of Kuranai's husband made the words in her head jumble, all the words she wanted to say to a woman behind emergency doors. _The doctors took Kurenai in. Kurenai needed him. The baby is coming! I'm sorry…_

And she clenched her hands again, tight. The bandages had been replaced again and again they were being rubbed useless. For what she could do, Hinata was trembling.

"You should go talk to the staff at the front desk," Sasuke came in smoothly. His eyes hard and cold, he acted as though he did not even notice the shaking girl in front of him. "Tell them that you are Yuuhi Kurenai's husband and they should let you in."

Asuma looked gratefully at the boy and rushed to do just as he was told. Hinata was left dumbfounded. While she could not see it, she certainly heard Asuma's gruff mumbling and a few whispers. Then footsteps. Then the doors of the hospital doors swinging shut as they lead him to the room that Kurenai was surely screaming it. Even if she would most likely refuse, Hinata hoped that Kurenai had asked for an epidural.

Even after knowing that Asuma had made it, that he was able to be there by his wife's side, Hinata still felt an unease in her chest. A pounding that ached every time it pulsed. Yet while she stood, feeling helpless, the doctors, nurses, and other family of patients were going about their days, waiting collectedly. And it just made her feel all the more weak.

"You should go home, Hinata."

Her head shot up. Sasuke was still standing in front of her, his eyes downcast. Hands shoved into the depths of his jeans, she dismissed the tense line in his shoulders.

"I-I c-can't!" She managed to protest.

Sasuke raised a brow.

"I-I…" She stumbled with her words. Hands pressed harder into her chest. "I can't…"

Her voice was small, defeated, deflated…tired. Though a voice in the back of her mind, she knew it did no one any good to be so nervous, the quake in her lip was impossible to stop. She could only imagine how pathetic Sasuke must have thought she was.

She heard him sigh.

She expected him to leave.

She was surprised when he took a seat.

The man behind him coughed and Sasuke looked a little peeved by it. Eyes darting sideways, there was a scowl. Blinking in sheer confusion, he nonchalantly leaned back in the chair across from her. Like a seat in his own home, his legs stretched out and an arm was lazily placed on the armrest. He tapped a foot and rested his head in the palms of his hand.

His eyes looked up at her.

"You should sit." He said.

She didn't register his words at first. But she had her body immediately did what he said. The shuffling of feet and scratching of pens ratted at her ears. And though her heart had stopped pounding, her stomach was being tide into knots. She fisted her skirt and twisted it. Sasuke looked down at her hands. A brow raised.

"What happened?" He pointed to her bloodied bandages. If she listened closely, there was a hint of worry despite his blasé expression.

"I-I fell…" She stammered. It was quiet.

"What?"

She gulped.

"I-I fell…" She repeated with the same stutter, just a little louder.

"Fell?" His expression didn't change. "On what?"

"Kurenai-san dropped s-some glass. I-I slipped t-trying to reach the phone." Her hands twisted more.

Hinata looked down and bit her bottom lip. She could still feel Sasuke's eyes on her. Whether they were judging or complacent, she couldn't tell. It bothered her that she couldn't read him. It bothered that she didn't understand what he was thinking. That he could be so close but his mind was so far, that she could recognize him, pick out his features out from a crowd – despite their mature change – and yet she did not know whether he was a stranger or friend. Had they ever really been friend.

Her fist tightened.

"Are you okay?" his tone was low.

Their eyes met, again. Was he referring to her hands? Her lips parted. A pause.

"No," was all she could say, despite herself.

Sasuke continued to look at her. Had he expected that answer? He inhaled, hands rubbed against his thighs.

"It's okay," came his response.

Hinata was speechless, eyes widened. Not at his words, but the way he said them. There was no accusation, no dismissiveness. There was only assurance. Assurance that that it was "okay" to be simply that, not "okay".

And like a fog, something cleared. Something released in her chest, knots were unwound and though the heaviness was still there, it felt more bearable. Her eyes softened and she finally was able to lean back in her chair and sigh. She was still worried, still weighted. She still felt uncomfortable sitting so close to him, awkward at their exchange, yet she felt lighter. Because it was okay to feel that way.

* * *

When her lids lifted, her neck felt stiff. She rubbed and massaged it. There was an uncomfortable stretching feeling. The side of her head hurt from the hard wood of the waiting chair. She hadn't even realized that she had fallen asleep. It should have surprised her to still see Sasuke sitting across from her, head lulled onto his fist, eyes closed. Even as he slept there seemed like there was a painful lack of emotion. Waiting so patiently in the waiting room and no one – not Asuma, not a doctor – came to tell her the status of her boss.

Realization hit her. The weight of worry came down on her once more, pouring like a rain. The clock already said it was close to eleven at night. She quickly got up and rushed to the front desk.

"Excuse me," Hinata piped meekly. "Could you tell me the status of Yuuhi Kurenai? She was admitted almost nine hours ago…"

The middle aged woman behind the desk raised a brow, not at all looking the least bit amused. Hinata felt intimidated.

"Are you a relative?" The woman's voice was dry.

"N-no… But I-…"

"Then I can't disclose anything to you." The woman interrupted. It was curt, short, and unfeeling. But when looking at Hinata's deflated expression, "I'm sorry, miss" was added just as uncaringly.

Hinata nodded and slowly paced away. Sitting back down at the seat she'd been in before, Hinata fidgeted with her fingers. With the sound of feet shuffling and pens scratching, it did her no good acting so nervous. Her foot tapped and eyes wandered. But always, she looked back to him. Right in front of her, though his face held no expression, she wondered if he was having a good dream. Like so many years ago, he looked less threatening, less judgmental. In his sleep she could finally see that he still looked very much like the Sasuke at the Azalea Festival. She leaned forward. But she could that his jaw was stronger now, shoulders broader. Though he had always had a down turn in his lips, the thin lines between his eyebrows from furrowing them one too many times was certainly not in her memories.

An unsuspecting piece of dust floated onto his hair. Just on his bangs, in fluttered but didn't let go. She wondered if it would be wrong for her to remove it. Despite herself, she lifted a hand.

"It's rude to stare."

Her hand dropped. She scurried back into her chair, not having realized she'd come fully out of it. Sasuke's voice had pierced the silence. Even in such a low, grumbling whisper Hinata had been startled. His lids lazily opened.

"I-I'm sorry," she squeaked, "did I w-wake you up?"

Letting out a sigh, he righted himself. His neck cracked a couple of times.

"No," was all he said.

"O-oh…" she eyed him, wary. "I'm sorry."

Sasuke didn't respond but instead turned to look at the clock. When he turned back to her there was a frown on his face. Or had it already been there?

"It's late. You should go home, Hinata."

"I can't."

"Is Yuuhi-san still not out of labor?"

Hinata didn't respond. Sasuke eyed her but ended up sighing and looking back at the clock.

"It's getting late, Hinata." His voice was just as tired as he looked.

"But Kurenai-…!"

"Yuuhi-san wouldn't want you sleeping or staying up in hospital waiting room for her sake." Sasuke interrupted. "You've done all that you can do, staying here is doing you no good."

"I-I'm fine…" she said meekly.

"You're shaking."

"I-I'm just cold."

Sasuke sighed, again.

"Look, Hinata," Sasuke started, "Yuuhi-san is going through exactly the same thing that hundreds of other women go through every day. These doctors are trained to deal with this kind of stuff and will make sure that everything turns out fine. If it makes you feel better, you can come back tomorrow _after _you've gone back to get some actual sleep."

Hinata looked resigned.

"Hinata." Sasuke's voice was stern.

She peered up at him from her huddle position on the waiting chair. His eyes were gentle. Even if the shake in her hands weren't receding, or the tremble in her bottom lip still persisted, Hinata forced herself to take one long, quivering breath.

"Okay…"

For a moment, she thought she may have seen relief pass over his eyes.

She walked out of the hospital with uncertainty. Though the late summer night was noisier from the inpatient traffic, Hinata felt numb to the noise. Her heart leapt in fright when she turned a corner to only catch a glimpse of a person behind her.

He raised a brow.

"You scared me," she said.

His hands were buried deep in his pockets, black hair blending with the night around them. Street lights reflected in his eyes.

"I have to get home, too." His response was curt as he walked past her.

"Ah… that's right," she said under a wary breath.

Walking several steps behind him, his silhouette was outlined from the headlights that zoomed down the main Sapporo streets. She watched his figure as it wandered. Like an apparition, he moved with little purpose, just drifting to the next place he needed to be. Not once did he look back to be sure she was still following. But she continued to just trail behind, careful, not stepping too close. Somewhere across the street, it just looked like two strangers – coincidentally – who were headed in the same direction.

He entered the train station. He paused.

Hinata had stopped just at the gates, wide eyed and mouth open.

"What's wrong?" he said, turning to face her.

"I…" Her hands patted the sides of her skirt and up to her shoulders. "The café!"

"What about the ca-…"

"I left the café open," were her words of realization. "I left the café open….and I left my bag there. I-I was so caught up with Kurenai-san that I…"

There were clinks of coins dropping. The gate opened. Sasuke stood on the other side, an arm was stretched out and a hand over the coin slot.

"C'mon," Sasuke said, "before the gate closes."

At first, she didn't move. Just looked at him. Still with an emotionless expression under the luminance of florescent lights. Their blindingly white light made him look paler than normal, sickly. But as the gates started to slowly close, a hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her through.

"Geez," he heaved.

His grip had been messy, painful even. She rubbed it.

"Sorry," she said under her breath.

"Whatever." He shrugged. "Let's go."

She looked up.

"What?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets and met her eyes. Though she couldn't read the line in his lips, or the tilt in his chin, or the lax in his brow, she could understand the tire in his eyes, the pure exhaustion of something that weighed on his chest. For once, she could understand that they felt the same: helpless.

"Let's go." He repeated, slowly.

Biting her lip, she nodded and began to walk in step with him. Down the platform and against a map, with its colorfully messy lines and scribbled words, they sat waiting for the next train. They came slower so late at night, longer intervals. Different from the trains in Tokyo, coming and going at all hours through the night. A city that truly never slept. Hokkaido was certainly different. She turned to take a small glimpse of him.

He was leaned back against the map. Head tilted back, chin up and looking to the rusted ceiling. When the train came rushing past, their hair swept up in the current. Violent and frantic, it whipped around their heads, obscuring her vision. Sasuke didn't seem to mind the momentary chaos.

They remained wordless, even as they entered onto the train. Sasuke picked a seat by one of the big windows. In an empty car, they could sit anywhere. She felt hesitant to sit by him, so chose to sit across. Arguably a worse decision.

From where she sat, she was forced to look down, to not make such constant eye contact. Her hands faced her, palms up, and he fingers twitched.

"You'll hurt your neck like that," she heard him mumble.

"I-It's rude to stare…" she repeated his words from earlier. She repeated words she had heard many times.

"It took you so long to realize," he said. Maybe if she had listened closer, she could have noticed the dry, teasing tone in his voice.

She would have missed the station if hadn't cleared his throat. She would have missed him standing up and walking to the doors. Her efforts were clumsy as she quickly grabbed the railing. The car jolted to a stop and she stumbled back a couple of steps.

"Still clumsy," He commented.

She only blushed and ducked her head.

When the doors opened, there was a rush of warm air, typical of a late summer day. The lingering humidity swelled around them as they exited an empty train onto an empty platform. The street lamps illuminated the street, giving a clear path down. While she hesitated, stepping down the steps to the street, Sasuke quickly walked past her. She swallowed.

They walked for a bit, her a half step behind. Offbeat, out of synch, they walked. It was a surprise when he knocked into her, turning the corner. His apartment was still straight.

"D-don't you live…?" She pointed away from the direction he was facing. "Did you forget t-to lock the bookstore?"

"No."

"Then what are you…?" So many questions flashed on her expression.

He eyed her.

"Taking a walk," he said curtly and passed with giving another breath.

She stared after him. Unsure and unsteady, Hinata looked between the image of his back and the street he should have gone down. She could understand why he paid for her train. She could make up excuses as to why he sat by her on the platform. She would have ignored him if he had nothing, if he had allowed her to pretend that he was doing something he would do for anyone else, she could just ignore him. And as he stopped, already so far ahead of her, and turned, there was an overwhelming feeling of confusion, loss, helplessness, anger… nostalgia.

Confusion over his actions. Like a child who is half the height, half the knowledge of a grown adult, only understanding half the world. Loss for his strong figure, so far away though she could have reached out to touch his shoulder. Helplessness over the words and questions she wanted to say, wanted to ask, but could not find the courage to voice them. Anger, because he was him. And seeing him made her feel like there was a pit, a deep, unforgiving pit, growing and expanding in her stomach – in her chest. She was angry that he was suddenly being so obnoxiously kind to her. She was angry that he couldn't lie and say that he forgot something at the store. She was angry that after so many years, so long, he was back in her life. Barging into her personal life, at her core she was angry that he was back. And she was angry that he had entered it, so suddenly, so forcefully, so abruptly. Their lives had crossed, and she was angry that he had no more control of it than she did.

"Are you coming?" He stared at her. Dark, coal colored eyes, hands shoved in his pockets. The down turn of his lips was customary. "Because I'm going to take a walk whether you come or not. But I'd rather not go alone."

Nostalgia is a ghost that rhymes with the past.

"S-sorry…" she stuttered.

She jogged to catch up to him. They walked slowly, her a half step behind.

"How long will it take you to do what you need to do?" He asked her.

"N-not long," she responded.

Sasuke nodded his head.

"What did you leave?" He asked.

"My b-bag," she responded.

"You left it unlocked?" He asked.

"Yes," she responded.

"Do you know how to lock up?" He asked.

"I usually lock up," she responded.

"Will that take you long?" He asked.

"It shouldn't," she responded.

Sasuke nodded his head.

They continued walking. But she hadn't noticed how her stutter faded with the passing street lights, or how her footing began to come in time with his. It was obvious that she wouldn't notice how they began to go slower, one syllable one foot.

"Yuuhi-san is going to be-…"

"Can we not talk about that for now…" She found herself saying. "Not right now. I'm…I'm tired."

She peered up at him, his eyes were looking ahead. Hinata mulled over the endless street they walked on, the endless rows of fluorescent lights. She was still confused, still helpless, still angry… still nostalgic. But she didn't feel at a loss. As their steps came on time, Hinata could lull herself into a sense of ease.

"What classes are you taking for the new semester?" She found herself asking.

"Physiology, the second chemistry course in B series," he said, "and calculous."

She faltered in step but said nothing.

"What about you?" It was only polite to ask the same of her.

"I'm an economics major," she said, "so I will be taking a lot of math classes."

He raised a brow.

"Are you taking calculous?" He asked.

She swallowed.

"Yes…"

He nodded.

"From eleven to one on Tuesdays and Thursdays?"

Their steps were careful and slow. She looked down at her feet and sighed.

"Ah…"

He nodded.

"It's a big class." He said. His voice was dry, as usual. But she wondered if he said it to console her, or if it was just an offhanded comment.

The café lights had been left on and door left unlocked. But after a quick sweep she experienced one of the only reliefs all day, nothing had been moved from where she'd left it. Even the glass cup that had shattered was left jagged on the tiled floor of the kitchen.

"Where do you keep the broom?" Sasuke asked.

"It's fine," she interjected, "I can do it."

She couldn't help but notice his as his eyes drifted down to her bandaged hands. Dried blood sticking to white gauze, she had forgotten about it.

"Where do you keep the broom?" He repeated.

"In the closet," she said pointing to a small door next to the sink.

Sasuke moved to grab the broom, finding it placed easily at the front of the closet. He was silent as he passed her and swept with a tired expression.

"Have you washed your cuts?"

Hinata's eyes widened slightly.

"Ah…n-no," she said sheepishly. "But the nurse at the hospital put antiseptic on it."

His sweeping paused and he let out a sigh. It surprised her when his stony eyes turned to her, stern and chastising.

"Take off the bandages," he instructed, "go wash your hands."

When she didn't move immediately, he motioned his head and gave a threatening gaze. She gave a surprised squeak but moved promptly and slowly unwrapped her bloodied bandages. The gauze had begun sticking to her skin, making a face as it had to be meticulously peeled off. At first, the water and soap stung. But the wrappings had smeared what had been minor cuts to look like a bloodied mess. She tried to rub the stains off, insistently applying pressure, more water, more soap. But while the color seemed to fade, her hands remained a faint shade of red.

A ringing pierced the silence.

"Is that your phone?" Sasuke momentarily stopped his sweeping.

She shut the water off and rushed to her bad that'd she'd left at the front of the café. The slight pain on her side was ignored as she clipped her hip on the corner of a table.

"Hello?" she spoke into the receiver.

"Hinata-chan?"

"K-Kiba-kun!" her surprise was unmasked.

"Thank Kami!" She heard him relieve a heavy sigh. "When you didn't text me that you'd made it back okay, I called. But when you didn't pick up the phone I started to worry."

"A-ah… sorry." She gripped her phone harder. "How many times did you call?"

"Four."

"I'm sorry…" her voice was small.

"Ah, just don't do that again." His irritated tone was unmistakable. There was a pause. "Sorry, you know I'm just worried, right?"

Her breath caught.

"Y-yes," she stammered. "Kiba-kun shouldn't be the one apologizing."

She heard him exhale.

"Are you home, safe?" His rough voice asked through the receiver.

"No…" She bit her lip. "I'm actually still in the café. I left my bag here."

"Oh," Kiba said, curious. "It's so late Hinata-chan. You should have just waited for your next shift and told Kurenai-san to-…"

"Kurenai-san went into labor." Hinata said quickly, her throat tight. "I-it was really sudden and chaotic. I came back because I left everything unlocked without thinking."

"Hinata-…"

"Kiba-kun," she interrupted him, then cringed. "Sorry. I'm just really tired."

"Hold on," he said.

"Kiba-kun?"

She heard ruffling and shuffling from the other end of the line. Her brows furrowed, trying to decipher exactly what was going on. There was some cracking and shifting and scratching before she heard Kiba's breath come back on the line.

"What was that?" She asked.

"Don't go outside," he instructed, "I'm coming to get you."

"Kiba-kun."

"It's late and dark and dangerous. You shouldn't be walking around alone regardless how careful you are. Sapporo isn't Tokyo but we're still a big city with our own crime life," he reasoned with her.

"Kiba-kun."

"And I'm your boyfriend."

She stopped. Something in her stomach dropped.

"Ah…"

"Just stay inside and lock the door," he told her. "Where you are is pretty safe but I would feel better if you locked the door."

Her fingers were white from gripping so tightly to her phone.

"Okay." She managed.

"Alright," the lit in his voice came through. "I'll see you in a little bit."

"Okay."

She could only imagine the triumphant smile he was beaming to her through the other end. When the click of the receiver sounded, she breathed a deep breath before closing the phone.

"Boyfriend?"

Hinata yelped. She hadn't seen him come out from the back. In the dark, he seemed to blend in.

"How did you…?"

"Inuzuka-san?" He raised a brow. "Sakura told me."

Something caught in her throat.

"Oh…"

She sat on the floor, he stood on the other end of the room against the pastry display case. Her head was ducked under a table and he looked down at her through the darkness. It must have looked ridiculous.

He turned and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Home."

The answer was simple.

"Why?"

Perhaps because he realized just how ridiculous it was, to be standing in the dark with her. Or maybe he was just tired. He sighed and turned back to her, hand still hovering over the handle of the door.

"Let me tell you something," he said, "Tomato-chan."

She straightened at the sound of her old nickname.

"You should learn that boyfriends don't like it when they see their girlfriends with other guys."

He let his voice linger just over the hum of the air conditioner turning on. A car's head lights passed and momentarily revealed the stone of his eyes and the part of her lips. He turned to leave.

"Kiba-kun isn't like that…" Her voice was small but he paused. He had heard her.

Without sparing her another glance he left the café and Hinata sitting in the dark with red-stained hands.

The low hum of the air conditioner kept blowing as she sat with her hands cradling her baby blue phone. Opening it back up, she immediately saw the notifications for the calls she missed. Four from Kiba. One from Temari. One from Ino. One from Sakura. She had a text message from Hanabi.

_Summer holidays were fun. Good luck, Onee-san!_

It had been sent almost two hours ago.

"_Thank you, Hanabi-chan_" she typed back. Her fingers grazing over her key pad, she looked at her message. After some thought, she decided to add a smile before sending. Hanabi wouldn't see it till the morning.

Sighing, Hinata went to her phone again. It would have been good to message her board mates that she was okay. There was almost an immediate _bing_ after sending each text.

_Dammit Hinata-chan! We were about ready to call the cops! Okay, see you soon ;)_

Hinata couldn't help but smile as she read Ino's message to her. Even the messages could be read in Ino's high but demanding voice.

There was a knock at the window when Kiba finally arrived. As soon as Hinata opened the door he embraced her with the force of a water rushing from a dam. His arms wrapped around her as she was pulled into his coat. His face buried into her shoulder as he cursed and told her how worried he had been. He was still careful not to put his whole weight on her, but still he held her close. Hesitant and clumsy, he pulled away and gave her a stern look.

And it wasn't until then that she realized just how cold she had been.

* * *

She wanted to furiously push past all the other passengers on the train. She wanted to, but she didn't. Instead, Hinata waited patiently till she could make her way out and fallowed the flow off the train. When there was finally enough room to take larger steps, she did the best she could to walk swiftly but steadily. The sun was directly overhead. It had been a little further back when Kiba had seen her off at the station.

He had wanted to come with her, but she insisted that he go to work, that everything should be fine. While Kiba surely saw her apprehension in going alone, he only silently agreed and walked her to the station. She was grateful for him. She knew she should be grateful for him.

It was expected that the hospital was more crowded and noisier during the day. Hinata had expected the cries of children and complaints of the elderly. Hinata was taken aback that the bustle and noise of nurses conversing, patients talking, and doctors shifting from one door to the next, it was hard to believe this had been the same hospital. In her frantic state, she had hardly been able to absorb any of the details.

Her eyes caught sight of Asuma's sturdy build as it walked out. Remembering the words of the nurse the night before, Hinata thought it may have been a better try to talk to Asuma about Kurenai and the baby's condition. Approaching, she walked with a shaky confidence. But as she got closer, her confidence fell as a taller but lither build came fallowing out. She was shocked to see it was Sasuke. The two were talking.

It looked like they hadn't seen her coming, Sasuke nodded at Asuma's words and Sasuke refused a cigarette handed to him.

"My wife's been trying to get me to quit for years," he said shallowly. "Tried a couple of times but something always turns up and I'm right back at it. You're young so I'm not sure if you've had experiences like that yet."

Sasuke said nothing. Asuma sighed.

"But I really do appreciate you coming," Asuma drawled, "we only just met yesterday but it does mean something."

"I'm…" Sasuke started.

Asuma waved him off.

"I really hate hearing those words." He said. "When my old man passed, I couldn't stand people telling me they were sorry. You just met me, but no offense, I would rather you didn't."

Sasuke gave a sad chuckle.

"I can understand that perfectly."

Hinata's eyes scrunched as she caught a snippet of their conversation. And her heart began beating faster. She took a deep breath and refused to let her head spin and head throb. There was a weight on her and she did her best to keep it from falling.

"Good afternoon, Sarutobi-san," she greeted with as much calm as she could muster. "S-Sasuke…what are you…?"

She was struck by Sasuke's expression. His eyes stared at her wide, like he hadn't expected her, and a mouth slightly open. He looked hesitant and apprehensive. She looked to Asuma – his eyes down and saddened.

No words were needed.

"W-what time?" her voice was shaky, hands trebling. It came out weak and thin and they barely heard. Eyes downcast, she couldn't look at either.

No one answered.

"What…" she tried again, "t-tine?"

"Noon, just an hour ago," were Asuma's solemn words.

And the words stopped something. Something in her stopped, was held back, froze. Sasuke stared and watched as the tremble in her hands ceased and head hung low. He watched as she slowly nodded.

"Noon…" she repeated. No stutter, it was certain. "Noon…"

Slowly, her body began to crumple. As her arms reached around to hug her knees her face was shoved into the space between them. Eyes closed, the darkness surrounded her yet she felt like it spun in circles. She gripped onto herself for support and tried to ground her feet firmly to keep from falling. And with heavy breaths, she let go an ear splitting screech.

* * *

**. . .**

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed~_

_Your reviews are much appreciated. Please continue to support and anticipate the next chapter!_


	13. 3-4: Midday

**3.4: Midday**

* * *

A bottle of green tea was set down in front of her. The hand that placed it there lingered, lightly touching the cap. She followed up the arm, to the base of the neck, slowly across the jaw, and trailed up the lips, nose, till she met his eyes. Looking down like he had nothing to say, she watched his lips part when he took in a breath.

"Drink this." He said.

She looked back down at the bottle he'd set down. Her hands trembled when reached to grab it and she retracted. The hospital was a place of chaos and calm. It was the center of pandemonium and serenity and Hinata felt suffocated and lost among the crowds of doctors and pacing of worried family members. The time around her had paused, and yet the time around her continued to move on. Sasuke continued to eye her but reached to open the bottle himself. He handed it to her. She didn't take it.

"You should go in to see her." Sasuke said. "They're allowing visitors."

Hinata clenched her fist.

"I can't…" she whispered.

"What are you going to do then?" he asked, taking a sip from the bottle.

"I-I think…"

Asuma walked out into the waiting room, a hand propped at his side. She could only imagine he was coming out to take another smoke. Hinata stood, almost knocking the bottle out of Sasuke's hands.

"Where're you going?" he asked, surprised.

"I-I have to go."

And she didn't allow him to try and stop her. She ran out of the hospital, her legs initially tripping over the other. The teeter of her feet matched the train floor that rumbled beneath her. Eyes trained forwards and back straight, her lips were forced into a line and a hand gripped tightly onto the handhold. She stood, because sitting made her feel too antsy.

The clouds that passed in a blur through the tint of the windows reflected in her eyes. A city that moved past, away, and slower than the speed of the passengers around her, they were all going somewhere important. Dressed in business suits and stockings. Hair slicked back or pulled into tight, brow drawing buns. Brief cases that accidently slapped against each other and hands that accidently touched. No one spoke to anyone else, eyes down or looking away. Hinata stood with a head held high and stiff.

"Eh, back so soon Hinata-chan?" Ino said jokingly.

She and Sakura sat in the kitchen, a bowl of instant ramen in front of each of them.

"E-eh… morning Ino-chan, Sakura-chan."

Hinata gave a small bow, careful not to stumble taking off her shoes.

"It isn't morning, Hinata-chan."

Hinata paused.

"…Ah…" She stepped into the common room. "Sorry."

Ino lifted a brow and Sakura took a side glance.

"Everything okay, Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked. She watched as Hinata hovered to the sink. Her face blank and eyes heavy, she stood with her back facing the two girls. "Do you want something to eat? Did you and your boyfriend have lunch?"

"I'm fine," Hinata seemed to manage. "I just want water."

The sound of running water started.

* * *

It took all her effort to step out of the bath. Hair dripping and skin shinning, the towel that hung lazy on her neck fell onto the floor of her room. A messed bed that she'd forgotten to fold felt too uncomfortable for sleep. The first vibration hummed in her ear. Jolting up, her phone dropped to the floor with a thump.

Kiba's name flashed on the screen of her phone. It flashed off when she pressed 'ignore'.

The blank white background of her mobile blared at her. Legs shaking nervously, she felt restless. The sound of the clock on her bedside ticked insistently. The light at her desk dimmed then flashed; a miniscule detail most likely looked over on any other day, yet while her mind clouded that was all she could focus on. Small details that would have otherwise been unnoticed – distractions.

Pulling on a sweater, Hinata rushed out of her room. The silence of the common room was the buzzing of the refrigerator holding left over _donburi_. Temari and Sakura's lights were off. Ino had a dim glow from the crack under the door. Hastily pulling on her shoes she ventured outside. Feet dragging against the wood of the porch, a dark summer night was all she could see.

It wasn't too clear to her if she had dialed first or if her phone started ringing. She knew that in a moment of hesitation she had lifted her phone to her ear. And she knew that in a moment of silence, there was a voice that seemed anything but surprised.

"Anything wrong Hinata-sama?"

The playful way he said her childhood nickname almost broke her to tears.

"Hello, Neji-nii-san," she said, voice even.

"It must be late for you there," Neji commented, "shouldn't you be asleep? Don't you have classes starting?"

He knew the answers, like always. But he never asked unless he was sure of the answer himself anyways. It was consistent with what she knew of him, and she was always thankful for such consistency. Even if the ocean that separated them made it seem as though he was moving at a different pace than the rest of the world.

"Are you busy?" She asked.

"No, instruction doesn't start till Wednesday."

"How lucky…"

Her voice drifted and got lost somewhere in the darkness.

"You should be asleep." She heard him say.

"I'm not tired."

"You're lying."

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

She paused and bit her lip. Sometimes a brother who knew you better than you knew yourself was annoying.

"I can't sleep," she amended.

There was a scoff on the other line.

"How long must I entertain you, Hinata-sama?" he asked, a playful lilt in his voice.

She smiled. Holding on steady to a post, Hinata slowly slid herself down to sit on a porch step. Her free hand resting on a leg, she leaned forward and crossed ankles. The dark seemed endless. Like the ocean that separated her from her family. A mother underground and father with his mind distracted with work. A sister who was inevitably changing into a body she would not recognize. A brother too far though his voice could be heard – static – through the waves of a telephone. A darkness that had no clear end, had no name to call it. Unknown of what was on the other end. Perhaps a boy with sad, stony eyes.

"Remember when Mama used to take us to the Azalea Festival every May?"

A pause.

"Hinata…"

"We used to get so excited, dressing in _yukata_," she continued.

"Only you got excited to dress in traditional clothing," Neji commented. "And it was just you and Mama that would go."

"Really?' she laughed.

A memory hazy and unclear, she could almost make out a faint and dim light. In the back of her mind, she imagined the handing lanterns and temple wishes that hung on the edges of the azalea path. Bunkyo filled with stalls, games, and food. Varieties of flowers that she had never seen, colors she could not have imagined. Childish wonder filling the caverns of her chest, a swelling of mystifying curiosity.

"Mama liked looking at the azaleas in the evening the most," Hinata said. "She said they looked the prettiest in the glow of the sunset."

"I see."

"Yeah…" she gripped her pajama pants. "Mama always held on so tightly to my hand when we walked around."

"Mama liked holding onto you," Neji recalled. "She loved you a lot."

Hinata winced.

"I thought my hand would fall off," she tried to joke.

"She loved you a lot," he repeated. There was a sigh at the other end of the line. "But I never went to the Azalea Festival. I just remember people all over Tokyo would come during April and May to see it. To think flowers would make Bunkyo prefecture so popular."

The iridescent glow of sunset fell on pastel petals. Capricious wondering through bodies, unfamiliar legs and unpredictable feet. The warm yet firm hands that lead her through a crowd. Spring in Tokyo hanging in the air was marked only by the disposal of winter coats.

"I remember mama always wanting to take the whole family," Neji continued. There was a dry laugh. "Sad that we never did."

"It's okay…" Hinata said quietly.

Dressed in a light blue _yukata, _the o_bi_ matched a red azalea being handed to her. She reached out into the dark.

"I don't remember much of it, anyways."

She grasped nothing but cold air.

* * *

"Hey."

Kiba leaned against the university's front gates, a frown on his face. Eyes trained towards her, Hianta stopped and stared. Their eyes brushed, but she turned away, hair whisking in the late summer breeze to cover her face.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

"No," she said quickly.

Their eyes brushed again.

"Then why won't you pick up your phone?"

Hinata directed her eyes to the ground. Her feet crossed and hands gripped her skirt.

"I'm really sorry," she said softly.

Kiba eyed her oddly. Her posture slouched and hand whiter than normal from holding her bag so tight.

"Did something happen?" he asked.

Hinata crossed her arms and took a step back.

"Can we not talk about it?"

"Hinata…" Kiba tried to reach out, hesitant to make personal contact in such a public area.

She unconsciously shifted away.

"Let's…" Her voice cracked, lifting higher. But she paused and swallowed. Lifting her head, she flashed him a small smile. "Let's go for coffee. I'll pay for you."

But even as she seemed to play the part of a cheerful girlfriend, Kiba frowned at the momentary image of her forced smile. Hinata walked on ahead, leaving Kiba to catch up.

When they parted ways, Kiba pulled her into a quick hug. Surprising her. Hinata stared wide eyed at him, a blush on both their faces at his spontaneous action.

"Remember I'm your boyfriend," he told her, "you can tell me anything."

All she could do was give him a shaky 'yes'. His toothy smile flashed, and they separated. But though she smiled for him, watching as he left made her cold. Even in the late summer heat, Hinata wrapped her arms around herself, trying to warm herself.

Even through lectures, she could still feel the chill. It pricked at her skin and gave her goose bumps. Walking through the campus, the sun beat down but she did not feel it. The heat tickled her skin but her core shuttered in cold. Only noticing that she stood just out of her lecture hall half hour too early did she finally see that the flowers were beginning to wilt.

Outside of her mathematics lecture, there were long halls of stone and concrete. Tall ceilings and long archways. Their architecture simple, cold, and barren, but surrounding a small courtyard. Vines and decaying spring flowers filled it. Like a forgotten fairytale.

She took a seat on a bench that faced it, eyes fogged as she stared at a butterfly as it landed on a yellowing leaf. She sighed and let her bag drop to her side. Knees clenched together, she hunched over and let her head hang.

"You know, I still haven't gotten over it."

Hinata jumped. Sasuke appeared, casually leaning against the concrete column. She turned to face him, a hand pressed to her chest.

"S-Sasuke-kun, you scared me."

"I still haven't gotten over it." He repeated.

She tilted her head.

"Haven't gotten over-…"

"His death." He interrupted bluntly. "I still haven't gotten over it."

Her brows furrowed, confused.

"You're not over it, either," he said, "are you?"

She stared at him, confused.

"You're not over it," he repeated without hesitation, "are you?"

The nerves in her hand went tingling numb.

"Not over your father's death?"

She bit her lip and pressed her fingers together. Before she could amend her statement, it had already been said. With a lazy lull, his head turned to her. Stony eyes stared her down as though trying to look right through her, right into her. Undressing her, examining her, seeing her. She shifted uncomfortably.

"You're mother."

There was no remorse, hesitation, nor sympathy; only the words of a truth she would have rather not have admitted to. Hinata sat with her eyes widened and mouth gaping.

"What are you…?"

He scoffed.

"It's easy to tell," he said. "Yuuhi-san's situation is unfortunate, understandable that anyone would feel upset. But you, Hinata…"

Her teeth clenched.

"It isn't just about Yuuhi-san, is it?"

His voice was cold – certain. It reminded her of the way Neji would sometimes speak, asking questions that he already knew the answers to. She didn't respond.

"You're afraid that this will be just like your mother," Sasuke continued. Propping himself off the wall, he walked to face Hinata more. "No, you're not afraid this will be like your mother."

Hinata blinked.

"S-Sasuke-kun…" her lip trembled.

"No, you're not afraid of it being like your mother," he said. "Because you never moved on from your mother's tragedy."

_Tragedy_.

She bit her lip and choked on a sob bubbling up her throat.

"Why are you saying this?" She shook her head, trying her best to understand. To understand his motives.

"I told you I wasn't over his death." Sasuke repeated again. Throwing his head back, he sighed and took a seat on the other side of the bench. "Doesn't that put us in the same boat?"

He looked at her. His hands still shoved into his pockets. Watery eyed and open mouthed, she stared at him back. The late summer breeze blew through the court and picked up a few fallen leaves and dust in its path. A lukewarm wind moved the bangs that obscured his face and she could see the line of his jaw, the contour of his nose to his lips. She could see his eyes fully, wholly. And what she had anticipated to be a stony gaze showed no signs of hostility or apathy. They were soft, her helpless expression reflected in pools of black.

"It still hurts," he almost whispered, "doesn't it?"

She continued to stare.

"It makes you angry, doesn't it?"

Her agreement could be heard in the silence between them.

"But Yuuhi-san isn't your mother, Hinata." He said.

Hinata turned away, preferring to stare circles into the wall ahead.

"Are you saying I should go and visit her?" she asked, quietly.

"I'm not telling you to do anything." He shrugged, letting his tense shoulders slouch. "But I don't think it's fair. I know you care about her."

Inhaling a deep breath, Hinata closed her eyes. Allowing the darkness to blind her vision, she imagined that the world around her disappeared for a moment. She imagined she was floating. Suspended in blackness, she ignored the tickle of late summer wind; ignored the cold concrete of the bench and floor beneath her feet. She tried not to focus on the large arching columns or the echoes of students walking from across the courtyard. Her attention did not wander to the rustle of leaves or warmth of sunlight. A flutter of pigeon wings did not register.

Slowly, in her mind, the world around her was beginning to disappear into the dark. Sounds stunted, feeling numbed, taste muted, smell dulled, and sight vanished. She just floated. She floated and allowed her mind to wander around her thoughts. To focus only on the emotions. Emotions of pain, sadness, anger, frustration. Images of a silent home, a wrecked room, an empty cradle, a limp body. And a phone call with a ghostly voice. All the things she had felt and wished she could have forgotten. All the things she wished her mother had known she felt. Her heart ached and hands shook. Because the shackles of her mother's death haunted her, tortured her. And she left it in silence, allowing it fester and eat her hallow.

But admits the pain and anger, admits the sadness and frustration, there was a feeling of warmth. A sound of even breaths and smell of sandalwood. Opening her eyes, Sasuke stood in front of her, looking down with hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"Do you think that you can run away forever?" He asked.

Hinata stood, still having to crane her neck to meet his gaze.

"N-no," she stuttered and looked away. "But I'm assuming you already knew that."

"You're being a coward." He said bluntly. "Would this have been how you would have acted five years ago?"

"You didn't even know me five years ago," she accused. "Not really."

Her head had snapped to look at him. Brows furrowed. She looked confident in her conviction, but the tremble in her lip told otherwise.

"I know you want to see her," Sasuke said again, "you're just too much of a coward to admit that."

"W-who's the coward?" her voice betrayed her.

"You are."

The blood in her veins boiled.

"And what are you?" she asked, trying not to seem intimidated. Because if she did, she knew she would lose more than she already was. "You admitted you haven't gotten over your father's death, either. H-how can you not sympathize or understand?"

She hadn't seen his finger twitch.

"Do you hate me?"

Her eyes widened. He remained still, apathetic. And in the moments that passed, she searched his eyes. Looking for any signs of teasing intent, any sense of badly placed humor. But she found none.

Taking a step back, her hand gripped harder onto the strap of her bag. He infuriated her. He made her blood boil, her face flush, and her mind spin. He made her frustrated to no end and left pits in her stomach almost every moment they met. But she didn't hate him.

"No…" she whispered, eyes down to the ground.

She couldn't find it in herself to hate him.

Sasuke laughed.

"W-why are you l-laughing at me?" She asked, deflated.

"I'm not." He said. "Not at you."

Hinata looked up but found that Sasuke was no longer looking at her. His face was turned, hair covering his expression.

"Then what were you…?"

"Do you want to see Yuuhi-san or not?"

Hinata gripped her bag. Teeth clenched, it felt like an uphill battle.

"Do I really have a choice?"

Sasuke shrugged. Hinata sighed. And without another word, they walked in step toward the train station.

* * *

The train ride remained silent. Though their seats were right by each other, neither said a word. Hinata locked her gaze on her bag while Sasuke watched the passing Sapporo through dirtied Plexiglas. Just beating the lunch time rush, there were enough chairs and breathing room for the two of them. The stops emptied the car just as much as they filled. But when the stop for the hospital came, neither tried to remind the other that the stop was near.

Getting up together, they left together. Walking down the side walk, the wind blew on their faces but Hinata did not try to see what Sasuke's expression was. Instead, she continued to look down and he wondered if she was watching as their feet stepped together in unison.

When the doors of the hospital slid open, the two entered. But Hinata's pace slowed. Stopping just a few steps short of the front desk, only then did she stand awkwardly out of place behind Sasuke.

"Hello," Sasuke greeted the woman at the front. "We're here to see Yuuhi Kurenai-san."

The woman looked up and down what she could of Sasuke, her eyes drooping from years of age. Then leaning over, tried her best to see Hinata stand behind him. The woman only gave a sigh and typed something into the computer at her desk.

"Room 122, down the hall," the woman droned.

"Thank you." Sasuke said and began walking down the hall.

"Thank you," Hinata quipped before rushing down the hall after him.

But the closer that they got to the room, the more Hinata began to lag behind. Her steps slowed and her feet dragged. There was hesitation and Sasuke could sense it. Turning around, he looked at her with stony eyes.

"You came all this way," he said, "are you just going to run away again?"

Hinata nodded, and though still dragging and slow, she approached Sasuke and looked at the number on the door he was facing. _122_

Ready or not, Sasuke only gave her a glance before knocking. He heard her breath hitch when the sound of footsteps were heard on the other side. A jiggle of the handle, and the door opened. Asuma stood with an unlit cigarette propped in his mouth.

"Uchiha-kun," Asuma greeted almost familiarly. Upon noticing Hinata standing just beside him, his eyes visibly widened. "Hinata-chan."

"Sarutobi-san," Hinata greeted, if not quietly.

"Hinata-chan?"

Kurenai's voice was unmistakable. It came from deeper in the room, tired and drawling, but it kept the integrity that was Kurenai. Hinata slowly stepped in, only then revealing a slightly chubbier Kurenai. Her hair curled and swirled around her face, messy as though just waking up from a nap. Her belly no longer swelled but she had her hands still pressed against her stomach out of habit. She was lying in bed, a drip attached to her hand. Yet her eyes still felt strong and motherly, even if she had lost the chance to be one before given the chance.

Hinata's eyes began swelling, her vision blurring. A wave of guilt filling her.

"I'm sorry," she cried. Her back bent and she bowed a full ninety degrees. Hair falling into her face, she bit her lip and held the tears. "I'm so, so sorry, Kurenai-san."

Kurenai stared, wide eyed. Looking up, she first looked to her husband, then to Sasuke. Her expression sked for answers, but all Sasuke could give was a nod motioning Asuma out of the room with him. Kurenai looked back to Hinata whose head still bowed low. Reaching out a hand, she patted the girls head and gave a wary smile.

"It's okay Hinata-chan," Kurenai cooed, much how she pictured she would have for her own child. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about."

Hinata didn't say anything as she let the tears fall.

Asuma and Sasuke left the room, letting the door close with a _click_. Walking out into the hall the two leaned against the wall facing Kurenai's hospital door. There was a hum of fluorescent lights above them but silence between them.

"I was worried that Hinata-chan wasn't going to come," Asuma admitted.

"I was, too." Sasuke said.

Asuma played with his cigarette between his teeth.

"What made her change her mind?"

Sasuke shrugged. Asuma looked to the boy whose hair obscured his face. He laughed.

"Hinata-chan is lucky to have someone like you in her life." Asuma chortled.

Sasuke looked to Asuma. Asuma smiled and wiggled a brow. But seeing Sasuke's bewildered expression, even for a moment, his laughter died.

After a moment of staring, Sasuke scoffed. Turning away from Asuma, he ran a hand through the tangles of his hair as there was a sullen turn of his lips. A solemn laugh escaped him.

"I think you misunderstand, Sarutobi-san." Sasuke stared off into the direction of the hospital room door. The shadow of a figure moved across, muffled whispers heard just beyond.

"I do?" Asuma raised a brow.

"Yes," Sasuke confirmed. "Because you see Sarutobi-san, you seem to be under the impression that I do this because I want to."

"Isn't it?"

A light in the hall flickered. A doctor exited out of one of the adjacent rooms and gave the two men a nod of recognition before making his way down the corridor. Sasuke sighed and leaned against the wall, head tilted back.

"No, I don't do it because I want to. I would be easy if I did it because I _wanted_ to," he said, "I do it because I have to. I do it because I need to."

"No one ever _needs_ to Uchiha-kun. But she's lucky because you _choose_ to."

Sasuke only scoffed again. Looking away from the door for a moment, he spent a minute watching as a nurse lead an older patient out in a wheelchair. Asuma played with the unmatched cigarette in one hand, the other fingered with the box.

"I wish it were that simple," Sasuke whispered under his breath.

Asuma turned to look at Sasuke for a moment. The boy had his hands shoved into the depths of his pockets. Back slouching just a bit, his hair fell across his face, legs rod straight pushing his body against the wall. But though his expression was obscured, Asuma could easily tell where his focus was.

"By any chance," Asuma started, "are _you_ Hinata-chan's boyfriend?"

"No."

Asuma nodded. At least the answer to that was obvious. But in the growth of their silence, Sasuke's eyes did not strain away from the hospital door. An even breath coupled with a still frame, it was hard to read exactly what the boy was thinking.

"Are you in love with Hinata-chan, then?"

The way Sasuke's hands suddenly clenched did not go unnoticed. His breath stopped and throat dried. His face remain obscured, but it took a moment for his nerves to settle and breathing to start again. He gave a nervous chuckle.

"Love." Sasuke said the word out loud. The syllables feeling foreign and heavy on his tongue. Like a rock, it was uncomfortable and rough. But it weighed down and forced him to say it again. "Love…"

Sasuke's head dropped. The bangs that surrounded his face fell and obscured his vision. Asuma watched as a hand was brought to run through the tangles once again. And again, there was the solemn laugh. The hand ran through the tangles and around the scalp and back down to his face. He lifted his head, and stared once more at the door.

"I think you misunderstand once again, Sarutobi-san." Sasuke's voice felt dry and leathered. Like it had been stripped of any feeling or meaning, he drew it from his throat like a drill draws oil. Painful, it stung. "You seem to be under the impression that I'm the hopeless childhood friend in some shitty _shoujo manga_."

Asuma watched the boy as he moved the strands of hair from his face, holding them back with strained muscles.

"But I'm not." Sasuke said. If there had been a smile on his face, it was gone. Unseen were any signs of the relief he had felt seeing Hianta finally face Kurenai. Gone was any sense of joy. Like a whimsical dream, it had disappeared. Sasuke scoffed. "In reality, I'm just the older brother with a bad sister-complex."

He let the bangs fall back into his face and Asuma could not figure what meaning the boy's ramblings had. Only doing what he thought was appropriate, he offered the boy a cigarette which Sasuke ended up taking willingly. Playing off his words as a bad joke, Asuma shook his head and laughed.

"You have an odd sense of humor, Uchiha-kun."

Sasuke twirled the cigarette between his fingers. As Hinata exited the room, a smile on her face and eyes puffy and red, he looked away from her thankful gaze. He wouldn't light it. But it gave him an odd sense of calm knowing he could.

* * *

**. . .**

* * *

_Obi - The mid-piece fabric for a yukata  
__Shoujo Manga - a Japanese comic geared towards a young female audience_

_All reviews are appreciated! _


	14. 0-4: Interlude

**0.4: Interlude**

* * *

Boys will be boys. It isn't quite fair to say, but it's the social law that we abide by. Sure, the old women at the market stared and wagged their fingers but in their minds they only sighed and shrugged it all off. From a young boy roaming around the town streets, making inconveniences to anyone that was foolish enough, to roaming down the town alleyways, making inconveniences to anyone unfortunate enough to come face-to-face with a police chief like me.

The old women who once wagged their fingers would never have guessed that one day I would hold such a title. Then again, half the things of my life had happened so unexpectedly. Never would I have imagined that a chance encounter with two American soldiers in high school, would have led to me caring for their child when the Americans' went to war when I was in the police academy. Even less did I expect to become his permanent guardian when the two were tragically killed in action.

I wasn't ready to become a father. Hell, I hardly related or kept in touch with my own father. Not to mention never having had a steady girlfriend – caring for a life other than my own was a left turn that had me swerving in all the wrong directions. So babies couldn't eat normal people food and had to be spoon fed all the damn time. They didn't follow normal sleep schedules, crying at odd hours of the night for no reason at all, farting, then giggling, then repeating the cycle. Toddlers drooled just as much as babies. Babbling oddities and screaming wildly. Changing diapers? Fuck that.

The first twelve months were the worst, but pride is a harmful thing and it got the best of me. It wasn't until a neighbor noticed the horrible scratch scars on the kid's cheeks did she finally decide to tell me that babies had a tendency to scratch at themselves till raw. And while Naruto always laughed them off, I always saw those whisker like scars as a reminder of my incompetence. And I don't like being reminded that I have been, ever was, or am incompetent.

I can accept it, but it chips away at my pride just as much every time.

Because my life growing up had been simple. It had been easy. Everything fell into place. When I joined the police force just after high school, I saw the worlds in blacks and whites. The law was my code of honor and anything that deviated was to be punished and taken care of. Preserver, work hard, and bask in the fruit of your labor. But with a kid (that wasn't even mine) and barely scraping enough money from being at the bottom ranks of the police squad, I was forced to see the world in gray. Because when more than your life depends on you, lines begin to blur and what had once seemed wrong suddenly began to weigh on your doubts.

That isn't a bad thing, though. Because ideas of right and wrong are almost purely circumstantial, they change and evolve. One way or another, Naruto grew up to be a (albeit at time obnoxious) good kid. Though growing up as a foreign child in a small Hokkaido village proved to have its difficulties, he was able to smile wholeheartedly. I became police chief in ten years and there was steady income and food on the table, despite my inability to cook.

In the police department, we knew everything and anything that went on. Eniwa, despite its size, is a very gossipy town and if rumors occurred, it was heard first by us. And it had been snowing hard that winter when Uchiha Mikoto came into the department office.

"I would like to request a change in household register."

From under my muffler, I couldn't hold in the shock. My eyes blinking a couple of times as I looked at the woman standing in my office. My mind racked and scratched at the back of my memories, trying hard to pinpoint the exact place that I had seen her, knew her. And as I looked more carefully at her rounded eyes, curved nose, and thin jawline, I began to remember. Yes, I could finally recognize her. Though she didn't seem to show and recognition of me; growing up, there were few people who didn't know _Harada _Mikoto.

Her reputation didn't quite amount to the woman that stood in my office. Back straight, winter coat and thick business pants her hair fell neatly over her shoulders and gave a dignified, worn smile. She had been several years my senior but even the boys in the junior high school would brag if they received one of Mikoto-senpai's devilish grins. Though what I heard from upper classmen, she was more tease than anything.

Being married to a lawyer at a renowned Tokyo law firm, it was a wonder why she would come back to little Eniwa after so many years. More surprising was that she had two sons standing obediently behind her. Both good looking kids. Aloof. It was easy to tell that both would break more than a few hearts in in their lifetimes – if they hadn't done so already.

Pulling up the necessary family register papers, Mikoto moved to fill them out. Eyeing the two boys, the older one greeted and bowed. The younger one had to be chided and forced by his older brother.

"I'm Uchiha Itachi," the older one said, monotone, "and this is my younger brother Sasuke."

"Pleasure. Hatake Kakashi, chief of police."

Despite the younger one's softer features (curtesy of Mikoto I assumed), he had a more brooding and sulking appearance. Itachi was definitely intimidating for a high school student. But at least he knew how to act around strangers; being with the police department had taught me to know when someone truly did not want to be somewhere. Blame couldn't be put on the boys. If given the choice, I wouldn't really have wanted to move to Eniwa either.

"Are you hiring?"

Itatchi's question was sudden. I looked up from my work and noticed the premature wrinkles under his eyes.

"As a cop?"

"No, just odd jobs." He said with full dignity and pride. "I'll do it for pay."

We weren't hiring. In fact, we were overstaffed. But the look in his eyes, though generally impassive, I could tell he was pleading with me. Slowly drifting back to Mikoto, who had found her way to a corner of the station, I could only imagine the situation she was in.

"Six-hundred eighty yen an hour." I told him. "You can make copies."

And he didn't complain. In fact, the slump in his shoulders told me he was even a little relieved, even if his face said otherwise. But the Uchiha struck something in me. Emotionally stifled and reclusive, they reminded me much of myself not too long ago. And the me that I had been was certainly not the life I would have wished on anyone. While the older one seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, the younger looked almost void of anything. His hands shoved deep into his pockets, his back slouched, eyes pointed to the floor, and hair obscuring his face, learning that he was to be in the same class as Naruto really made me raise a brow.

Which to say it didn't surprise me when Naruto came back bruised and sore, especially after his constant complaining about the younger Uchiha. Perhaps I should have been more concerned about seeing his split lip and bruised shoulder, but I simply shrugged it off and thought that boys will be boys. Naruto could be obnoxious – having pissed off all the wrong people that I was surprised it had taken so long for him to get a good beating – but he was by no means a bad kid.

So it surprised me less when Naruto and Sasuke ended up getting along. Seeing the two walk beside each other as they entered our home became as natural as seeing Naruto scarf down a cup of instant ramen for breakfast.

But when Naruto had returned home one night, late from eating at the Uchiha's, I was surprised to hear that Haruno Sakura – the girl from down the street that Naruto had an obvious crush on – had joined them. Even more surprising that she invited the boys to her father's ramen shop for dinner.

I knew the Haruno since I was a kid. Even in my childhood, the Haruno ramen house was a hot spot for family and friends alike. I knew Haruno Sakura. She was a quiet girl. Brilliant, but removed. She found Naruto almost unbearable to be around and only continued to be with him if only for his persistence. She wasn't a particularly cold or rude child. In fact, she was the exact opposite. She was overly polite and humble, knowing exactly how to act when and where. But she never engaged. In all the years that I had watched the little Haruno girl, never had I seen her take the initiative. If anything, she thoroughly rejected more than she accepted. She always struck me as painfully self-conscious.

So to hear that little Haruno Sakura willingly would spend time with Naruto was something I had never imagined. But even that, slowly, became just as normal as my work hours. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were a trio almost inspirable: all for one and one for all. And if one went somewhere the other two were bound to follow. They were all good kids with different, clashing personalities that somehow, when together, had brought out some of the best in themselves.

Naruto learned how to truly connect and think of something beyond himself. Sasuke was less reclusive than the child I had first met in my office, and Sakura had learned to take initiative; especially when dealing with the two boy's constant squabbling. It was refreshing and oddly inspiring to see.

Yet as dynamic and beneficial their relationship was with each other, I couldn't help but sometimes feel a disconnect. Particularly between Sakura and the boys. Because sometimes, boys will be boys and there isn't much else that can be done. Even on the days where the boys would come to the station for Naruto to drop off a few papers or two, I would only see Sakura trailing sadly behind. Sometimes I thought it was simply years of training that had made me hypersensitive to details, but Itachi had noticed it as well.

"Haruno Sakura, she is in the same class as Naruto and Sasuke, correct?" Itachi had asked me.

His hands slowly worked over a few papers.

"Yes," I answered.

"She spends quite a lot of time with the two." He observed. "Her family own the ramen shop down town?"

"Yes."

He nodded and straightened a stack before pulling out another handful of reports from a basket.

"I hear that she is a smart girl and behaves well," he stated.

"She certainly is hardworking." I agreed.

"Did she grow up a happy child?" He wondered out loud.

The boy spoke in tongues and usually spoke in circles. He was directional, yes, but agonizingly vague with his words. Always trying to work out information in his head, by himself, he did not always say exactly what he thought. And despite how much I admired him for his thoughtfulness and brilliance, sometimes I got tired of it.

"Did you grow up a happy child, Itachi?" I asked.

Itachi looked up from his papers. Sasuke and his resemblance were hard to recognize. If I hadn't know from the beginning that the two were brothers, I would have never been able to pick out the similarities in their features.

"It was a decent upbringing." He responded. Going back to sort the papers, he continued to talk. "I don't know how much I could say for my younger brother though."

It was hard not to show even a small sign of interest. The few times that Naruto and Sasuke had come over, yes, it was a little shocking to see how personality different they were, but I thought it was more or less a miracle that the two really got along well. The two were equally moody children, but in different ways. Naruto was drawn closer to being too light-hearted and jovial while Sasuke often looked like he constantly expected the world to hand him a silver platter laced in lead.

"Our father was… hard on us," Itachi told me. "Sometimes not fairly so."

"Fathers are human, too."

My own could have been called less than ideal by many, I could understand. Hell, I couldn't really even be considered a great father figure to Naruto. I scoffed at the thought. Had his father been around I was certain that the boy's real father would have been a million times better than a sad bachelor for a police chief.

"They are," Itachi agreed. "But I don't think I can really blame Sasuke for his estrangement with our father. Ever since we were younger he always seemed to be harder on him. Or maybe that's just me being an over protective older brother."

While Itachi wasn't one for showing emotions in front of others, I could see the slight shimmer in his eyes. The sides of his cheeks and eyes look creased, places obvious for wrinkles. The kid stressed himself out more than he should have and it killed me to see it.

By that point, I had already found that after leaving Hokkaido, Mikoto had gone to university in Tokyo and had actually settled with an attorney from one of the top firms in Tokyo. He was an older man and given my age plus the age of the boys, Mikoto most likely wasn't too young herself. A heart attack and an unfortunate fall. The boys had lost their father too early. And maybe, I had come to understand just why Sasuke and Naruto got on so well.

"So serious at your age, you'll grow old fast," I often joked to him.

"Aren't you too care free for a head of police?" He would counter as he placed a paper into a file.

"I get my work done."

He never showed it, but it always amused him I suppose. He definitely didn't oppose it. Especially during the winter when he would usually stay after hours at the station to study in a quiet place. His head down in books, it was good for him to rest every once in a while.

"Which university will you be vying for?"

"Hokkaido University is closest," Itachi said with a straight face. "It's the most ideal."

"Ideal isn't always best," I advised. Leaning back in my chair, I pulled my feet up to the desk. "Where do you want to go?"

He looked up from his books. Only sparing me a glance he went back to his nose on the page.

"You'll kill your eyes doing that."

He ignored me. As always Itachi disliked disruption while he concentrated. I could only laugh internally.

"You'll kill your brain studying so hard."

"You'll kill your brain reading so much porn."

Sometimes he joke as well.

"What do you want to do after University, Itachi-kun?" I asked, putting down my "porn". I tilted my head and examined him. "Do you have a plan?"

"Our father wanted us to be lawyers."

"Is that what you want to be?" I asked.

"Sasuke has no clue what he wants to do."

Most young people I met didn't. It was especially standard for the boys around Eniwa, to go to Hokkaido University or to stay and help at the family trade were the only two paths most people knew. They had no direction and little clue as to what they wanted. Hell, I would be lying if I didn't at least admit to that. Boys will be boys.

"But he wouldn't become a lawyer," Itachi continued. "He isn't assertive enough."

Thinking to the quiet boy, it was true that I could hardly imagine him in suit and tie arguing over the rights of someone else. But I also couldn't imagine the passive Itachi in the position either.

"Eniwa doesn't really have a large need for lawyers though," I said, "you don't see many people being dragged to the court house here."

"I'll probably move back to Tokyo. Used to regularly go to company parties with my parents, we still have a few ties in that circle."

He spoke with his head buried deep in a book that looked as though it weighed more than himself. He had gotten quite thin since the first time I had met him, cheeks jutting out unnaturally I couldn't imagine he was getting much sleep.

"I wouldn't hold my hopes too high on that prospect. Four – perhaps two or three knowing you – in university then two in law school," I said. "Minimum four years; lawyers are fickle people."

"Aren't all people?"

There was a slapping when he closed the cover of the book. Standing up, he gathered his things with as much stoicism as a stone.

"You're done studying? Rather early don't you agree?" I jested.

"I promised my mother I would be home for dinner tonight."

And he left with the most emotionless smile I had ever seen. Itachi belonged to everyone but himself. Even I was guilty of stretching the poor boy so thin.

Sitting alone in my office, I hadn't really realized how much Itachi had done for me. All the papers that were piling, unorganized, unfiled, just messily placed in convenient places all over my desk, I had been pampered. Most of the squad was off duty for holiday and I rarely took a sick day off from work. Naruto was at home, probably with Sasuke and/or Sakura. I was always tentative to leave Naruto alone – much less the three of them together – mainly because while Naruto could profess he was an amateur food connoisseur, the boy could barely cook his own instant ramen without potentially endangering himself.

But the station was quiet and I had a pile of reports I had to file away as well as another pile of files I had to place into the data system. Lunch time was about as good as a time as any other, so as I reached for the first paper on the desk, I hadn't been expecting the door of the station to let in a draft of blistering cold air. And with the younger Uchiha standing with his hands shoved into the pockets of his winter jacket, I put the paper down and leaned back into my chair.

"Sasuke-kun," I greeted with welcoming intent. Though the effort was not always recognized when he often gave a restrained scowl at the tone of my voice. "What brings you here? I know my home brewed coffee is delicious but don't you think you're-…"

"I'd like to work." He told me.

It wasn't that I thought the boy couldn't handle the work. Honestly, I didn't need any help doing anything as simple as organizing and filing reports. It was just tedious.

"I'd pay you less than your brother," I told him.

Sasuke only stared at me, eyes much too stony for a fourteen-year-old. I shrugged.

"You can start now by cleaning up my desk; everything is alphabetical."

Without much other expression, he pulled up a chair and started picking up a few papers. As I turned back to my work, I could hear as he cursed me under his breath. It was impossible not to laugh a little. Of course I laughed while placing another stack of nonsense papers in front of him.

Sasuke wasn't a bad worker. I never expected him to be a bad worker, but I never expected him to be as diligent as he was. Itachi had been much more graceful when he worked, I knew. It didn't strip Sasuke of his own merits. It was prejudice really. The boy, with such stony eyes and an uncaring expression most of the time, did not look as though he took much seriously. It was a pleasant revelation to find that he could really be of use. His placement as first in Eniwa High School did not take me by surprise in the slightest.

"Sneaky bastard! How'd you get first?"

Though not everyone was so… privileged. Sasuke entered my office with a stack of papers from the copier. His face turned in a scowl as he took a seat.

"Hush Naruto," Sakura chastised from the corner.

Sasuke had come to work on time, as per usual. But on his heel seemed to be the trio together. They situated themselves into the corner of my office and looked rather comfortable as Naruto reclined in his chair and Sakura sat rod straight while she hit Naruto upside the head for his posture.

"You're both too noisy." Sasuke was blunt.

"And hey," Naruto ignored Sasuke, "what was with that opening speech. 'Let us work hard on our studies, together.' The hell was that about?"

"What's wrong with that? I thought it was pretty uplifting," Sakura admitted. "And besides, isn't it only natural to say that in such a situation?"

"Exactly!"

"Naruto, please don't shout," I reminded him.

"What I mean is," Naruto sighed. He was a loud one. "Sasuke doesn't do _normal_. I couldn't even believe you had it in you to come up with something like that. You _hate _doing things like speaking nicely to people."

Sasuke shot a glare at Naruto. Sakura punched him in the arm. It was the usual scene but I couldn't help but think on Naruto's words. From what I had observed, it was true that Sasuke was certainly not the most gentle when it came to voicing deeper sentiments. The boy was too blunt for his own good. Naruto had a point, though Naruto also had a problem with not being able to ever express himself properly.

"Well I thought it was nice," Sakura interjected.

"It was weird," Naruto mumbled. "Did you see all the girls googley-eying you? Unless…"

Naruto paused. He eyed Sasuke who was straightening out some papers to clip together. Naruto gave him a look and a mischievous grin appeared on his face.

"Oh, I get it now." Naruto said in a slow voice.

"What do you get, dobe?" Sasuke sounded annoyed.

"You sneaky bastard!"

"Naruto, don't shout." I reprimanded.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sasuke stopped his work for a moment to glare at Naruto.

"Hey, no shame. I get it," Naruto continued. "I mean, in a school where the female to male ratio is one-to-two… I get it."

A look of horror passed over Sasuke's face. It was difficult to contain a small smirk (thankful for the muffler). Only Naruto could illicit such a reaction from Naruto.

"The hell Naruto!" Sasuke was vocal in his opposition.

"Please do not shout, Sasuke-kun."

He snapped his head to stare me down.

"No need to be shy, Sasuke," Naruto teased.

"Shut up, dobe, I didn't do it to-…"

"Hey, man to man," Naruto pressed.

"Naruto you-…!"

"It's actually really funny." Naruto leaned in closer to Sasuke. "You're being so self-conscious now? There's no need for excuses, Sasuke."

"Shut it, dobe."

Sasuke was certainly becoming redder than I had ever seen him before. It really was amusing.

"Come on." Naruto laughed and leaned even closer. "There's no shame in admitting every once in a while that you have a di-…"

"And I think that's enough."

Sakura grabbed Naruto by his new white collar. Pulling him up and away from Sasuke, Sakura held Naruto to his feet.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto whined.

"I think we've disturbed Kakashi-san and Sasuke-kun enough." Sakura was always a voice of reason.

"But Sakura-chan!"

"Come on, I'll treat you to some ramen," she offered. Of course Naruto wouldn't refuse.

Naruto jumped in joy and seemed to completely forget that Sasuke was still a bit pink form their… intimate exchange.

"Hey, Sasuke, you should come when you're done helping the old man."

"Naruto," Sakura hissed.

"Whatever," Sasuke said and turned back to his work.

"See you in a bit, bastard." Naruto waved.

"Don't hurt yourself, dobe." Sasuke replied in the same manner.

Naruto laughed.

"What's the worst a dead-last like me gonna do?"

Sakura only rolled her eyes as she said one last goodbye and followed Naruto out the door. When the door shut, the office was left with an annoying buzz that hadn't been there before. Sasuke bent over to file away a few papers. A sigh escaped him.

"You kids sure are lively," I commented.

Sasuke didn't respond. He was back to being silent and serious. It was really boring when he was like that. At least Itachi had the courtesy to try and make conversation ever so often, but Sasuke was not half as personable as his older brother. Though I could tell Sasuke hated being compared to Itachi in such a way. They were two different people after all.

"So how about you then, Sasuke-kun," I chided him, "a girl you're interested in?"

Young and inexperienced, he most likely didn't think I had caught his side glance to me.

I smirked from under my muffler.

"Perhaps someone back in Tokyo?" I said a little slower, just to see the little twitches and reactions to each syllable. The hesitation in his lips and slight turn of his head away from my direction. Like a cat who caught its own tail. How cute.

"None," he said, voice firm.

He wasn't as good as his brother when it came to hiding his intentions, but he wasn't bad for a kid. I didn't expect him to tell me the truth, half the time I didn't think he thought very highly of me in the first place. But boys will be boys and antagonizing the Uchiha was certainly fun.

* * *

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* * *

_I hope everyone had a lovely New Years. Welcome 2015! _

_All reviews are very much appreciated! _


	15. 4-1: Afternoon Afterglows

**. . .**

* * *

**4.1: Afternoon Afterglows**

Kiba held Hinata's hand firmly as they exited the theater. An autumn breeze blew past them, whipping her hair up in tangles around him. His smile pulled back, showing the full set of his top teeth, to let out a husky laugh.

"Sorry," she breathed.

Stepping back a little, she attempted to pull her hair back. His hand only circled around hers tighter.

"It's fine," he insisted.

She looked up to him and nodded. They crossed the street.

"How has Kurenai-san been doing? It's been about a month since they discharged her from the hospital, right?" Kiba squeezed her hand.

It had taken a bit of time, but the two of them had slowly gotten used to the feeling of each other. The warmth of their bodies. Especially when the feeling of summer had quickly faded to welcome the cold. Days were growing shorter and nights soon grew longer. Times where the sun hovered overhead became almost blinks of moments, fast to disappear. Kiba had never imagined that that Hinata would be the first one to call him, but hearing her voice over the receiver had put him at ease a bit. He also had not expected her to apologize to him.

"Kurenai-san has been discharge for almost a month and a half," Hinata corrected. "She actually just had a follow-up examination yesterday."

"Oh, so is that why you had yesterday off?" Kiba laughed.

"Yeah," Hinata said.

Waiting at the train station, the wrong train stopped.

"But things at the café have been okay?"

She leaned closer into him as they boarded a train, trying to make as much room for other passengers as she could.

"Things have been relatively slow," she said. "But that's a good thing, I suppose. It makes it easier on Kurenai-san."

The smell of damp autumn leaves lined the streets like the lamp post they surrounded. A path of orange and browns. They didn't crunch when she stepped on them. In front of the café, Kurenai, still a little swollen in the ankles and face, was bent over a broom trying to clear the front door.

"Kurenai-san." Hinata rushed to her side and took hold of the stick of the broom. "I said I would do this, no need to strain yourself."

Kurenai straightened and wiped a few beads of sweat from her brow.

"I'm not pregnant anymore, Hinata-chan," Kurenai insisted with a smile. "Really, if I keep letting you do things like this for me, I'll get lazy."

Hinata warily kept hold of the broom.

"You really should just let her do it Kurenai-san," Kiba interjected, a playful lilt in his voice. "She might be soft spoken, but she's surprisingly stubborn."

"K-Kiba-kun," Hinata stammered.

Kurenai blinked a few times. But, sighing, let go of the broom and massaged her back.

"Alright, alright," Kurenai complied, "you young kids have too much energy for me."

Hinata and Kiba laughed.

"I'll finish up here and then come in to help," Hinata said.

She let her arms start sweeping up the leaves, persistent ones that would not come off from the front mat.

"Don't take too long," Kurenai joked.

"Okay."

Hinata smiled before bending back over to continue sweeping. In a small step, Kiba planted a small kiss on the top of her head.

"K-Kiba-kun!" Hinata yelped, her face instantly red. "N-not here…"

Kiba laughed.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow, Hinata," he said.

Hinata rubbed the top of her head, the red in her cheeks receding. Kurenai looked at the scene and let out a small, exasperated, chuckle. The way Kiba's lips pulled into a toothy grin and Hinata seemed so small in her over-sized sweater and long fitted skirt, Kurenai was conflictingly glad for the two. So young.

"Ah," Kurenai remembered, "Inuzuka-kun, wait for a moment."

Kiba and Hinata looked at each other for a moment in confusion as Kurenai disappeared into the café. Only coming back out with a bag neatly wrapped in a pastel colored box.

"What is this for?" Kiba asked, hesitant to take the box.

"Some cookies and pastries," Kurenai responded. "Take it to work with you, for taking care of little Hinata-chan and making sure she gets here to work safe."

"K-Kurenai-san…" Hinata said, surprised.

Kiba looked down at the box, opening it to see the powdered and sugared sweets all neatly stacked and lined. A grin spread to his eyes.

"It's really nothing," he admitted, "after all, I'm her boyfriend."

Kurenai smiled.

"Still," Kurenai insisted. "I'm glad Hinata has you to look after her."

"K-Kurenai-san..."

"Thank you," Kiba said, looking down at the box one more time. "Well, see you tomorrow, Hinata."

"Okay," Hinata said.

With a final nod, he turned to leave, Hinata waving him off.

"Come inside when you're done," Kurenai instructed.

"Alright," Hinata agreed and went back to trying to sweep away the stubborn leaves. A tinging feeling itching at the spot where Kiba's lips had been.

* * *

Hinata reached home earlier than expected that afternoon. And for the first time in a long time, she saw that all of their shoes were lined up in the front, with each girl occupying some space in the common area. Between Ino being caught up in some club activities, Sakura in her school work, and Temari and Hinata having jobs of their own, it was a rarity to have all of them home at the same time.

"Welcome back," Ino said from the couch.

Temari sat at her foot, one knee under her chin. Holding a cup of hot tea in one hand, they both watched something on the television with identical interest. From the look of a girl with her hair, long, willowy and black, Hinata could only guess that it was an old horror movie.

"No!" Ino screeched.

Temari jumped at the pitched scream.

"Turn that off," Sakura grimaced at the sight of a needle being punctured into a man's skin. "That's disgusting."

"Scared, forehead?" Ino teased.

"I'm not the one squealing like a pig," Sakura countered. "You'll give yourselves nightmares."

"Bet you couldn't watch till the end," Ino prodded.

Sakura's eye twitched in irritation.

"Was that a challenge?" She asked.

Ino shrugged, but her stare pierced like a lioness grappling its prey. Sakura would not be the helpless mouse to back away running.

"Do you want some tea Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked.

In a usual situation, she would have declined and headed to her room. But despite the grating sounds of the horror track playing along ear blistering screams, the atmosphere felt lighter than it had in a while. Nodding her head, Sakura smiled at her and poured them both a mug of tea. Making their over to the other girls, Sakura situated herself beside Temari on the floor while Hinata sat on the single chair across from Ino. A splatter of blood spilled across the floor and all the girls let out a simultaneous scream of terror. But the room was soon filled with awkward laughter at their shared disgust.

In the flashes of subdued colors and neon dissonance to contrast, the somehow all girls ended up clinging in one way or another to Temari who seemed to show the least amount of fear out of the four of them. Yet, reaching a point in the film where the horror track had stopped and the film was only left with a heavy ambience in its silence, it was possibly the most terrifying part of the movie. Temari was beginning to lose some circulation in her arm where Hinata's grip only grew tighter and tighter with each passing moment of silence. And as the antagonist of the film began to creep out from the corner of darkness, the girls huddled closer to one another.

Ino's teeth chattered. Sakura's breath hitched. Hinata stared wide eyed and Temari bit her bottom lip. The black figure in back dragged its thin arms across the floor like a half being struggling for life. A sound of static began to pick up. Building… building… building… a nail running through a chalkboard… building… building… building… buildi-…

"Ah!"

Hinata's voice echoed along the thin walls of their boarding house. The monster hadn't even lunged for the helpless protagonist when the phone in her pocket buzzed in her pocket. Temari, rubbing her ear, turned to be sure that Hinata was all right.

"Hyuuga-chan…"

Embarrassed, Hinata scratched the side of her face and laughed.

"I'm okay," she said.

Temari, a little shocked, nodded and turned her attention back to the screen where the monster had not disappeared. Hinata pulled out her phone and saw that it was a message from her sister.

_I got full marks on all of my exams. _

It was the usual. Hinata looked at the words on the screen, devoid of feeling or enthusiasm. Distant. She knew Hanabi would receive full marks even if she never said anything, it was only expected by their father. Hinata sighed. Her sister was only fourteen, after all.

The girls screamed once more when Hinata stepped outside onto the porch. The sun had set completely under the horizon, leaving only a dim glow in the sky. The ring of the receiver sounded. It didn't really surprise her when her sister didn't pick up her phone. She gave a small, sad laugh. Hinata hadn't expected much.

She was ready to back into the boarding house, hand on handle, when her phone suddenly buzzed. Looking down, Hinata was surprised to see her sister's name on the caller ID.

"Hello? Hanabi-chan," Hinata picked up.

"O-onee-san?" Came Hanabi's voice through the other end, her voice distorted from the static.

Hinata paused for a moment, trying to make sense of what she heard. Hinata could remember the sound of her sister's voice the day she had left Tokyo. She could remember the smoothness of it, how it had a matureness that matched her sister's sentimental side. But she could also remember that there had been a childish clip in her words. Hinata remembered that Hanabi was still a kid. Yet hearing the voice through a line stretching kilometers, Hinata could hardly find that childish clip.

"Hello Hanabi-chan," Hinata said once again, this time, doing her best to sound more confident.

"H-hi… Onee-san," Hanabi responded. Her voice was quiet.

Only static filled the silence.

"Where are you now?" Hinata asked.

"I'm walking home."

A lie.

"I see," Hinata mused. "Why are you walking home so late?"

"I had club activities."

Another lie.

"Your cultural fair is coming up soon, isn't it?"

"Our class decided to do a haunted house."

As if on cue, Hinata could hear a scream from inside of the house. She laughed lightly at the coincidence.

"Sounds like fun. What will you be doing then?"

Hanabi didn't respond immediately, there was some shuffling and a few scratching noises. It was late, their father was bound to be home soon.

"What did you ask, onee-san?" Hanabi asked.

Hinata held a strained smile.

"I asked what would you being doing for your haunted house?"

"Oh," Hanabi said. "They just said I had to sit in the corner with a white dress. The class representative said I just had to act like Sadako."

"Sadako…" Hinata repeated, paling at the thought. "Sounds like fun."

"Yeah," Hanabi barely whispered.

The glow from the sun had completely receded. But the light from the almost full moon seemed to light the streets just enough to see a bit into the distance.

In the silence that soon consumed them, Hinata wondered what her sister was doing on the other end. Was she looking out her window into the night as well, or perhaps was she just sitting on her bed, staring circles into the blank wall in front of her. When they had been together, they spent many nights in silence. They had spent many moments in silence. But never had it been uncomfortable, because knowing the other was there seemed like enough.

"You should call Neji-nii-san," Hinata said suddenly. "I think it'd make him happy."

Hinata had sometimes caught Hanabi staring at her while she did her school work, or while she drew. Often times, Hinata could recall times when Hanabi would just situate herself on Hinata's bed are against her body. Hanabi, though seemingly uncaring, always cared a lot.

"Onee-san," Hanabi said into the phone, her voice timid. "Are you being serious right now?"

Static began to fill the distance between them.

"Ah…" Hinata hesitated.

When they were younger, Hinata could remember a time when Hanabi would say things so much unlike other girls her age. It had been shortly after their mother's death. A dark time for their whole family, and yet Hanabi always acted the least affected by it. Though Hanabi was young, Hinata distinctively recalled how Hanabi would sometimes say something bluntly inappropriate: something along the lines of not recalling their mother, questioning if they ever really had a mother. Things that even Hinata herself could have never even have the gall to think. Yet, with distant eyes, she would just grab Hinata's hand and squeeze.

"Just joking," Hanabi said.

Something always told Hinata that she wasn't.

* * *

"Thank you, sir," Hinata said.

The final customer in the café nodded and exited, holding his coat together. As the days grew shorter, the autumn winds were growing stronger. In the afterglow, any remnants of summer was gone. In just a month or so, the streets and trees would once again be filled with power white snow.

Hinata picked up the last of the cups from the table and wiped it down with a damp towel. Taking the dishes into the back to be washed, she found Kurenai standing at the counter, her arms shuffling and working with something.

"What are you doing Kurenai-san?" Hinata asked out of curiosity.

"Hinata-chan," Kurenai said, turning, "good."

Hinata gave a quizzical look. Kurenai smiled and reached to grab a small pastel colored box. Much like the one Kurenai had given Kiba the other day, it had nicely packaged cookies and pastries in neat stacks and rows. She couldn't really imagine that it was for her.

"What is thi-...?"

"It's for the boy across the street." Kurenai interrupted. "Uchiha-kun, was it?"

Hinata's eyes widened.

"Why?" she asked.

She was surprised, not because of ill thought, but because it had been a while since she had even seen – much less thought – of Sasuke. Not in class, not at work. After her reconciliation with Kurenai, he seemed to disappear from her everyday life. Perhaps he had taken to avoiding her.

"My husband told me about how Uchiha-kun helped us out the day I went into labor," Kurenai said, "and I figured this is the least I could do."

Hinata eyed the box. Small, compact, pretty, cute. Something she couldn't imagine Sasuke ever holding.

"Do want me to give it to him?" She asked.

"Yes," Kurenai said.

"Why me?"

Kurenai raised a brow.

"I heard he goes to Hokkaido University with you. Don't you two seemed to know each other?"

Hinata could have lied, or at least come up with a terrible excuse for a lie. But as she attempted to think of one, she wondered exactly why she would have to lie. Why was she trying to avoid him like he would hurt her? Had he ever hurt her?

"Why now?"

Kurenai sighed.

"That shop has very irregular hours," she said. "I'll finish cleaning up. Deliver this and you can go home."

"Shouldn't I help-…?"

"It's fine, Hinata-chan," Kurenai insisted. "Today was such a slow day, I hardly did anything."

"But…"

"Besides" Kurenai gave a light smile and placed the box into Hinata's hands. "It's getting late, I don't want you going home in the dark."

Looking down at the small pastel box, Hinata closed her eyes and sighed. Taking the box, she could tell that Kurenai was happy with her compliance. But walking up the dimly illuminated door felt like a ghost beckoning. And the ring of the bell as she entered left a high pitched hum bouncing between her ears. The shop was empty.

She recalled the first time she had come in, at the time unknowing that _he_ had worked there. The books on the shelves were still dusted in a dull gray, looking as though they hadn't been touched in years. The gold gleam of their kanji letters shined in the dimness of the light. Again, a steaming cup on a table filled with papers and pens. Spread messily around an old register. Putting the box of pastries down on the table, she thought for a second about leaving a note, letting him know that it was Kurenai.

"What are you doing?"

She started at the voice. Sasuke stood in front of the back door. Hinata's lips parted for a moment, her mind trying to search for the words to speak, and looked down to the box.

"Kurenai-san," she managed to say. "She… this box."

Sasuke raised a brow. Walking over, he took a hand from his pockets and reached to open the box to see the pastries.

"She wanted me to give it to you as a thank you," Hinata said. "Thank you for… for what you did when she went into labor."

He closed it.

"You know," he looked up, "I don't really like sweets."

Her eyes widened. A small shot of panic filled her.

"But tell Yuuhi-san thank you, anyways," he amended. "I appreciate the gesture."

He took the box and set it down on the stool behind the register, a small puff of dust flying into the air. Straightening out the papers on the desk, more dull spots of gray flew off. Like dirty snow.

Looking over, he caught her gaze on the pastry box.

"Do you want one?"

"Why don't you clean anything?" She asked him.

He was taken aback by the question. Her voice felt sharp and slightly accusatory.

"What do you mean?"

"I-I mean," she started. "D-don't you get a little annoyed?"

"Annoyed?"

"You don't really like leaving things so messy do you?" She asked him.

He blinked a couple of times. With a setting of the afterglow outside of the shop window, he had to wonder what exactly she was referring to. She wiped a finger along the surface of the front desk.

"If you cleaned this place, you might feel a little more comfortable."

He stuffed his hands into the depths of his pockets and shrugged.

"I'm used to it," he told her. "My apartment it worse."

She could hardly believe such a statement.

"That's no way to live."

The words were spoken under her breath. Like a flutter with the dust that floated around them, her voice lingered. She tried to catch his eyes again, but he looked off to the side.

"I'm fine."

A light flickered for a moment, taking Sasuke's attention away. He looked at it, irritated.

"Are you sure?" She asked, complete seriousness in her voice.

He looked back to her, shocked at her question.

"Yes," was his curt response.

"I can help you," she offered, "if you want. I can help you clean up."

Her eyes were soft, staring at him with the same intent that he had remembered from their childhood. Her soft and unwavering stare that made him take a hesitant step back.

"Why?"

Looking at the books, gold seamed and leather bound, forgotten like old memories. Hinata let her eyes roam over a set, a series that stretched across the entire top shelf. _Chronologies of…_

"Because I feel I should," she told him. "Because I feel that…"

Her voice trailed off. Looking off distantly, coming up with reasons for herself to help him was difficult. Sasuke sighed.

"Even if everything is cleaned up," Sasuke began, "do you really think it will make a difference?"

She paused. Caught off guard by his statement, her lip trembled slightly. The afterglow was disappearing as the night began to take over. A darkness that followed the new moon, slowly the street lamps were beginning to turn on.

"People don't really like dealing with old, troubling things if they don't have to," Sasuke said. "Even if everything were presented so nicely and neatly, most people aren't going to want to bother with it if it's too troublesome."

Hinata had no response. Shoving his hand deeper into his pockets he shifted on his feet.

"Are you concerned about me?" He asked.

"W-wha…?"

Her face, before pale as moonlight, now began burning a fire like red. She felt the heat begin in her neck and then travel up to her cheeks. Words coming out in short, incoherent stammers, she was too flustered to notice the small smirk that flashed across his face for a split second.

"Just joking," he said, blasé.

The words weren't consoling. Because even after he played it off so coolly, she still felt her ears growing hotter. Trying to regain some kind of composure, Hinata crossed her arms and hid her face behind the locks of her hair.

"E-even still…" her voice was shaking. "I-If we can, w-we shouldn't be leaving things in a mess."

Looking at the way she held herself, it almost looked like she was sinking into the sweater she was wearing. Like she was trying to hide in it. Taking one heaving breath, he opened the box of sweets and picked the top one. Leaning across the table and held it up.

"Here," he said and tossed the cookie to her.

She fumbled the catch and almost dropped it on the floor, startled by the sudden action.

"If you really want to, we'll clean everything up," he told her. "But keep in mind that it won't really change anything, so don't expect too much."

Hinata blinked a couple of times. Her eyes staring at him like they always had before, soft and unwavering.

"Come over whenever you want," he said, "I'll just be in the back."

The street lights were finally bright enough to illuminate into the shop. With a small _snap_, Hinata took a bight of the cookie. It was cinnamon flavored. She smiled.

"Is it good?" He asked standing up. Not seeming to really care for her answer, he continued to pick up the things on the table. He did not see her nod.

"I'll bring something next time," she told him. "Something that you actually like eating. R-rice balls, okay?"

And as a car drove past, shining more light on the dust that accumulated around them, Sasuke felt like he should have objected. But Hinata could be stubborn and he was getting tired of resisting.

"Tomato filling please," was his only response.

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All reviews are greatly appreciated! Please anticipate the next chapter.


	16. 4-2: Afternoon Afterglows

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**4.2: Afternoon Afterglows **

The sound of Ino singing along to some new song on the radio hummed louder than she wished it would. But who was Hinata to judge the pleasures of another, after all she was the one sitting staring at the blank page in her leather-bound notebook. And though she stared and frowned at the insistent white and there were a large array of thoughts and memories that filled her time since coming to Hokkaido, all she had to show for it was a single page of black.

Hinata rarely looked back into the contents of the book. She was hyper sensitive, she knew, and so it was difficult for her to revisit the drawings and pictures that she had created while in moments of emotional turmoil and confusion. It was a system she had become accustomed to, something she had – not looked forward to – come to accept as a part of coping.

Yet recently, she had come to a place of complacency. Comfort. She could only think back on the last few months and their cohesive, complacent sense of calm. Nothing spectacular, but nothing that displeased her. Autumn had come and gone, and she still had yet to step into the world of that antique book store. Perhaps _he _had been right. If she didn't have to revisit the past, why should she?

And so the page in the leather-bound notebook remained untouched.

* * *

"So how is studying for midterms going?" Hinata asked.

"About as good as ever."

It only felt like a second had passed between the time that she and Kiba entered the canine nursery and when they were walking along the reservoir with Akamaru just a few meters ahead. Picking up a ragged ball that Kiba had thrown, Akamaru came rushing back, saliva dripping and all. Kiba bent down and patted his head affectionately, Akamaru dropping the wet tennis ball into his owner's hand.

"When it's all over, I should take you out somewhere." Kiba turned to give Hinata a toothy grin.

"You really don't have to," Hinata said and smiled back at him.

"But I'm your boyfriend," he whined to her playfully, much like the puppies in his mother's daycare.

Hinata gave a small laugh and crossed her arms over her chest. The sky, overcast, blocked any warmth that could have been gathered from the sun. Marking the beginnings of winter days.

Akamaru ran in circles, barking and pouncing on anything small that moved. A couple of times, as children walked by, it startle a passing baby or toddler. Kiba would scold him then and he would whine with his head dropping so his paws could cover his eyes. Kiba always rolled his eyes but rubbed his sides anyways.

"He's so full of energy today," Hinata commented.

Akamaru came running back just after Kiba released another throw.

"It's because you're here." He nudged her side, causing her to stagger a bit to left. "Careful."

He wrapped an arm around her to help her maneuver out of the path of a group of high school kids skipping classes. He had her walking on the outside, so she wouldn't fall into the reservoir, he'd said.

Usually the two would go straight from her classes to work, because Kiba only had so long of a break before needing to head back to the car shop. But that day had surprised her when her mathematics class had canceled because of a conference in Europe her professor was attending. And while she hadn't called Kiba to tell him, chancing upon him on the way to the library was just pure coincidence. Even through her sweater she was oddly aware of the hand he had on her shoulder. Large, calloused, and warm. He held the dripping, salivated ball to her face.

"Want to try?" He asked her.

Akamaru immediately halted his energetic staggering and sat, tongue hanging out. He barked.

Hinata looked skeptically at the ball, but tentatively wrapped her fingers around it anyways. Is squelched and she suppressed a shiver. She had watched how Kiba had thrown the ball many times, just chucking it out into the distance; not too close that Akamaru would get bored, but not too far so that would run out of sight. His back would turn and the follow through of his shoulder and his arm were rugged movements, but she could tell he had full power and control. She threw.

It didn't go too far.

"I think we might need to work on your arm," Kiba chuckled.

Akamaru only plodded to the ball and was in no rush to bring it back. Placing it at Hinata's feet, he sat back on his hind legs and stuck his tongue out again. Mouth stretched back in a ferocious, canine grin.

"I think he knows you can do better," Kiba said picking the ball back up. "Watch. It's all in the shoulder."

She watched. She watched his arm pull back, the turn of his torso, and the release from the snap of his wrist. Neji had taught her to throw a long time ago, when she had begged him after watching one of his middle school games. At one point she had been decent. Now she just couldn't remember how to do it.

He handed the ball back to her once Akamaru had returned, having chased after a false throw. Hinata nervously grinned and tried again. The ball bounced back on the floor in front of her.

"Woah!"

Kiba caught it before is slammed into her face. Akamaru panicked for a moment.

"S-sorry," she stuttered, bending down to Akamaru's level. She scratched behind his ear. "I guess I'm just no good at this."

Kiba had his lips quirked in a strange way. Tossing the ball in the air, he sighed.

"I think I know what you're doing wrong," he said. "Here."

He placed the ball into the palm of her hands and moved to stand behind her. Taking hold of both wrists she could really feel the callouses. They stood awkwardly. His arms bent unnaturally to accommodate the shortness of hers. Her boney shoulders pressed somewhere between his collar and under his arm. They went through the motions. A bend back, shoulders stretched, a turn, and arms follow through. When her wrist snapped forwards and the ball released, his chin had knocked uncomfortably into her temple. The ball had gone farther, but not by much.

Kiba let go of her as Akamaru went to fetch the ball.

"I guess I'm just not very good at throwing," Hinata apologized.

"It's okay," he said, "we can work on it."

When Akamaru came back, she patted along the sides of his fur. Kiba took the ball from his mouth and threw it back into the distance, this time farther than he would usually. As they continued to walk along the side of the reservoir, with an autumn chill running past them, Hinata had to wonder why Kiba was blushing all of a sudden.

* * *

Kurenai was wiping down the last table. Her arm flexed and tense as she tried her best to remove the coffee stain made by their last customer. As the temperatures dropped and daylight was growing shorter, the café became busier. During the height of the day, around late lunch, there would be a line out the door and every table was filled with gossip, hung coats, and a steaming mug. Winter had yet to hit and the weather reports were predicting record lows.

"You've worked hard today, Hinata-chan." Kurenai acknowledged, wiping sweat from her brow.

Hinata was behind the counter, comparing the day's receipts with what was in the register. As far as she could tell, everything checked out.

"You too, Kurenai-san," Hinata said.

"You should get home before it gets too late," Kurenai advised. She disappeared into the back to toss the dirtied rag.

"Are you sure you don't want me to help clean up more?"

"There isn't much left to clean," Kurenai said, emerging from the back room. "Besides, you should head home. Don't you have midterms just around the corner?"

"I do, but-…"

"No but," Kurenai interjected. "Go home, its fine. I don't want you caught out too late and in the cold."

Though she was willing to protest more, Kurenai had a fiery look in her eyes that told Hinata to think better than to continue their exchange. Sighing, and closing the register, she stepped out from behind the counter and undid her apron. She had returned to wearing her red scarf and a heavier sweater but the bite of the cold was less than threatening to her. She could hardly feel it.

Leaving the café, the street lamps were just warming up, proving little competition for the sunlight that still persisted over the suburban skyline. She gave Kurenai one last wave through the window before making her way towards the train station. A few cars passed her but the street remained much emptier than it had during the day, much less busy than the café had been the past couple of weeks.

Her breath lest her lips like clouds of smoke, twisting and turning in the chilled air, they disappeared. And while her steps were even and light, they grew heavier and disjointed when spotted a familiar patch of black hair and black eyes walking towards her on the sidewalk. There was an awkward stumble as her mind tried to decide whether to acknowledge him or simply look a different way and pretend she had just missed his fleeting presence in her life.

But she didn't have to decide. He decided for her.

"Hinata." His voice was cold.

She stopped.

"S-Sasuke…" her voice managed to betray her.

He held a gloved hand to her. She looked down and stared at the empty palm, confused.

"Tomato filled rice balls," he said, voice still biting and eyes stony. "Didn't you say you would bring me some the next time we met?"

She continued to stare, now bewildered.

"I…" her words failed to come to her.

He retracted his hand and shoved it back into the depths of his winter coat.

"It's fine." He said sharply. "I was just joking."

But she knew he wasn't.

"Sasuke…"

She tried to decipher the look in his eyes, a black void that did not even reflect the confliction of her expression. He was the first to look away.

"You should get home. It's getting late."

"Sasuke…"

He walked away from her, his back only another figure passing on the street.

When the door slammed and the bell in the corner quivered in fear, the hum of the incandescent light and tick of a broken clock was the only thing left to fill his silence.

He sighed.

The shelves were now half empty, half full, books in piles on the floor and dust flying and swirling in the air. The store looked even more of mess than it had before and he was not pleased that perhaps he would have to be the one to clean it up. As his eyes wandered over the spines of the lying about, some characters seemingly too ancient for him to recognize, he considered leaving the books to collect dust. It would be less troublesome and much less irksome – at least in the short run. It wasn't as if people came to visit an antique bookstore anyways.

But somewhere between his thoughts and the complete set of the sun, there was a coincidental ring of a bell. Hinata stood with her head low and breath shallow. She had sprinted back with her red scarf barely holding on. His eyes were wide, staggered she had even decided to return.

"I'm sorry…"

Her voice was so silent, he could hardly hear the words.

"You don't have to apologize."

He meant it. He already knew that she was prone to guilt, he already knew that she apologized too much. He already knew that those two words were not spoken only to him.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said. "For sure I'll come back tomorrow."

"You don't have to."

"I want to."

She bit her lip and struggled to look his way. Eyes squinted at the corners, she looked like she was about to cry. He shook his head and inwardly scoffed. Impossible that she would cry for him, cry because of him…maybe.

"I'll bring you y-your tomato f-filled rice balls," she stuttered. Surely her eyes looked as though they were ready to cry.

Something about it made him remember a time for a long time ago, a time they had left under dusted memories and forgotten emotions. It reminded him of a time of chubby cheeks and fleeting encounters.

"It's late," he told her.

The broken clock ticked and she stood at the station, waiting for the next train.

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_I feel as though I should explain why it has taken me forever to update, but I can only give reasons and no excuses. So I apologize greatly. _

_I will update with another chapter tomorrow, I promise! _

_Any and all reviews are much appreciated!_


	17. 4-3: Afternoon Afterglows

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**Chapter 4.3: Afternoon Afterglows**

Hinata continued to stare at that blank page in her leather bound notebook. The swirling of emotions and swells of her breath she wondered exactly why she tried so hard to conjure up some sort of inspiration for a piece. And perhaps it should have been easy.

It should have been easy, she continued to tell herself. While the thoughts of months past were relived in her head, even the comfortable, even beat of her heart could not differentiate one moment from all the other nameless memories she had. But still, she continue to stare and still she continued to lose herself in the blankness and white.

A breeze of early winter wind blew and ruffled the blank pages of her leather bound notebook. Loose pages flew into the air and drifted just above her head, slowly floating down when the wind had died. Her hair settling on the sides of her shoulders and pajama shirt calmed. Hinata stood and closed the window she could not recall ever opening.

* * *

Sakura woke up early on weekends and enjoyed eating the breakfast prepared by the old widow at the end of the street. As days were growing colder and the sun began rising later in the mornings, it was growing more difficult to get herself out of bed, but only did for the sake of routine.

She always got enough for the whole house. When she had noticed that Temari was not eating before leaving for her internship across the city, and Ino seemed inept at even preparing a simple bowl of steamed rice, Sakura had took it upon herself to be sure that their counter/table had a nice assortment of dishes from broiled fish to dried seaweed. Temari was always grateful and Ino showed her own appreciation in her own Ino way – though the two would not shy from throwing a few snide remarks towards each other in the process.

By the time Hinata rolled out of bed that morning, the sun had already fully risen over the horizon and the kitchen was empty. A single bowl of cold rice sat lonely, waiting for her to come and eat it. But the day was already closing in on noon and she figured that she should only go about her day like she truly had woken up in the middle.

Picking up the bowl from the counter, Hinata walked to the rice cooker and checked inside. She found that there was still half a pot left. Nodding her head, she rolled the sleeves of her pajama shirt and washed her hands. Setting out ingredients she had picked up from the store the night before, the counter – once filled with dishes for breakfast – had turned into a set from one of the cooking channels she had watched growing up. Knives lain at arm's reach, a towel thrown carelessly over her shoulder, she even looked the part.

She picked up the first ingredient from the bowl she had set aside, a tomato. Taking a knife, she examined it. Red, round, shiny. Their apartment in Tokyo never had tomatoes because Hanabi hated them. Hinata could remember a time when they were younger and her younger sister's bento would come back, pristine, licked clean, with the only exception being a small blob of half chewed red. From then on, Hinata never bought tomatoes from the market.

Turning it in her hands, she noticed that the surface was smooth as it sprouted out and around the green little tuff at its top. Unconsciously, she felt her own hand reach up to touch the contours of her own face. Fingers brushing on smooth skin mirrored her thumb running over ruby flesh. In her mindless thoughts, there was something odd about the way her eyes seemed to reflect into the little red object.

"Mesmerized?"

Hinata dropped the tomato. It landed with a small _thud _on the cutting board.

Sakura stood at the door to her room with a hand placed amusingly on her hip. Her impish features softened as she gave way to a small smile at Hinata's comical bewilderment.

"Sakura-chan, you're still here."

"Of course," Sakura said, "I have to study for midterms and libraries are closed today."

"Right…"

The two girls stood in silence for a while, one with her hands curled on the counter and the other standing, leaning against a door frame. Sakura, ears humming, moved first as she migrated herself to the couch, sitting with back rod straight.

"So what are you doing?" Sakura asked, attempting to fill the void.

Hinata opened her mouth, but shifted her feet and shook her head, finally returning to what she had intended to begin doing. Though this time, her hands lacked a certain amount of precision when they began to cut, her mind focusing too hard on the exact movements she was making.

"I'm…" she began but paused. It was an odd place to stop her sentence, but she tried to look as though she were just concentrating on making each slice as thick as the last. "I'm making rice balls."

Perhaps to her ears, the words sounded suspicious, but Sakura nodded and took it as well as any other answer.

"Cool," Sakura said. "I'm sure Kiba will love them."

Hinata ceased her cutting for a moment. The words were harmless, innocent. And it took Hinata second to remember that Sakura could not possibly have any ulterior meaning behind the statement. And it made Hinata feel all the more guilty for the sudden drop she felt in her stomach.

"Y-Yes…" she responded with a quivering voice.

Neither said much more to each other as Hinata continued to make her preparations.

Hands working delicately on each individual rice ball, it reminded her of times she had spent with her mother as a child. Moments when her mother still smiled because of happiness, when they laughed together, when Hinata remembered her mother as the perfect housewife everyone now seemed to remember her as. It was a time Hinata had prepared food because she wanted to help, not because she needed to.

Soon, she found herself in a rhythm and the motions blended together fluidly. Before even realizing it, Hinata found that she had used up all the rice and there was a plate holding ten perfectly shaped tomato filled rice balls. Hinata smiled at her work.

Looking up, she found Sakura was still sitting on the couch. Though she could not see her expression, Hinata could tell that the girl's face was illuminated by the light of a cellphone. Her stomach twist.

"My parents want to know if you'll be coming back this winter holiday." Sakura turned around on the couch and rested her arm at the back of the couch. "You didn't come back during summer holidays but… they want to know."

Sakura had been texting her parents… Hinata felt a pang of guilt.

"I have work, and winter holidays are when things are the busiest," Hinata told her. She bit her lip. "I-I sorry Sakura I-…"

"Don't apologize," Sakura giggled. Returning to her phone, Sakura typed in a few characters before pressing send and directing her attention back to Hinata. "Really, it's fine. They were just wondering, nothing to feel sorry about."

Hinata still felt herself clench her fingers on the counter as her eyes drifted down to the rice balls.

"So I wanted to ask," Sakura began.

Hinata immediately raised her head.

"I was wondering if you still wanted to live here next year," Sakura continued. "Or do you want to find another boarding house or find our own apartment… I don't know, closer to campus?"

She cocked her head. Sakura laughed and situated herself more comfortably on the couch.

"It's not that I don't like living here," she assured Hinata, "It's just that I was wondering how you felt. I mean…"

Sakura stopped and tilted her head, trying to think of the exact words she wanted to say. Hinata waited patiently, still confused by the sudden suggestion of moving out of the boarding home.

"What were you planning?" Hinata asked.

As if waiting to be asked exactly that, Sakura gave a wide grin and shifted her position once again on the couch, body bouncing on the cushions. Her hand dangled over the back, phone hanging dangerously over the edge.

"Well," she started, "A friend lives in a part of the city that's a little closer."

Hinata tensed her shoulders.

"It's actually a few stops closer and it's in a nice little neighborhood on the other side of Sapporo."

Hinata bit her tongue.

"It's kind of a cute area and there's nice shops and stores around the main street," Sakura continued.

Hinata tried her best not to hold her breath.

"And it isn't too busy, even though it's near the train station," Sakura said. "My friend, he seems to like it there."

Hinata swallowed.

"He?"

Hinata would have been blind to have missed the way Sakura's cheeks began to turn a color oddly similar to her pinkish hair.

"Well, yes, actually it's-…"

"I'd rather not."

Hinata did not wish for Sakura to finish.

* * *

"You really came."

He sat behind the counter, a textbook of some sort in one hand while a steaming cup of something sat on the counter. His dark hair almost blended in with the mossy green of the store's wallpaper.

"I said I would, didn't I?"

Her voice came out mousy and meek. Walking towards him, he looked up from his readings and raised a single brow in question. She set down a plate wrapped in foil, opening it to reveal the neatly arranged rice balls set up to form two small circles.

"You really did it." His face was impassive but his voice did little to mask his genuine surprise.

She didn't say anything. Looking at the books that lay in stacks on the floor, she wondered if he was genuinely trying to clean on his own, or simply make the work she was going to do much harder. But there was a pang and she frowned, perhaps it had been mostly her fault.

"Where do you want to start?" She asked.

The book he had been reading was set down onto the counter, the steaming mug he had placed there shook and some of the contents spilled out. The store suddenly began smelling like coffee – strong coffee.

"You can start taking all the books down from the shelf," he instructed, pointing to the shelves that still had their full library untouched. "I'll try and reorganize the books so it will be easier to put them back."

"Your job seems easier."

Her protest had been whispered under her breath, but still she stepped over the books with care and started doing what was asked of her. Reaching up, she pulled at the spine of the first book she touched. Her fingers worked gingerly, not wanting to damage the books that looked as though they had been written a century before she had been born.

The two worked in silence. Sasuke, having situated himself on the other side of the piles of books, began looking their titles over and placing them first in piles set by genre. Hinata hardly looked at him, her back always facing away. Only when she turned to place a new stack of anthologies or collections or novels down did she even get close enough to hear his breathing. And she couldn't understand why she had felt disappointment when she heard that they were unnervingly even. Hers were slowly coming out just a bit ragged from reaching on her tiptoes so often.

In their silence, she could hear a ticking of a clock and the hum of the incandescent lights. The clock was broken. It ticked, but the time continued to read an arbitrary time that could not possibly match the sun that hung so low in the sky outside.

As they worked, the sun only hung lower. As they worked, the shelves became emptier. Yet as they worked, their silence only drummed longer and their rhythms only worked in complacent tandem, Hinata was beginning to wonder why she had felt so nervous on the train ride over. And while her hands reached up and moved through the slowly collecting dust cloud that thickened around them, she so often forgot exactly where she was, who she was with.

She was finished removing all the books before Sasuke was even half way to reorganizing them. Standing across from him, she wondered if she should offer her help, or simply let him do his part of the job on his own. Secretly she wondered why it was taking him so long. He seemed to work efficiently, hands moving steadily, quickly. He looked as though he had a system.

Every time he looked a title over, flipped through the pages, then set the book down in its place, a cloud of dust particles would erupt into the air. Flying and mixing with the already growing fog around them. Hinata blinked as a particle landed on her lash and irritated her eye. As if the fuzziness from the dust were not enough, her small tears forming were blurring her vision even more.

Sasuke happened to look up at that time and found himself a tearing Hinata. Eyes widening and breath hitching, he set down the book he was holding and stood, knocking the pile between them over.

He was confused, he didn't understand. His hands hovered awkwardly over her small form, unsure if it was even appropriate to touch her in a situation like this. His breaths came out in short panics. His words were stuck in the back of his throat, they came out gurgled and incoherent.

"S-Sasuke?" Hinata had finally rid her eye of the blasted dust particle, though her eyes were not saved from the redness and irritation. "What are you doing?"

Her lips parted as she took a step back. He was suddenly so close. Hands out, arms open, he suddenly realized what he was doing. Immediately, both limbs fell back to his sides. She was okay.

"Why were you crying?" though his eyes held just as much stoniness as always, his voice felt more aggressive and showed more frustration than he had wanted.

"W-what do you mean?" She stuttered, still confused.

"You were crying…" he stated, "why?"

Hinata's eyes were shifting, trying to find some sort of answer in his eyes.

"I wasn't crying." She finally said.

They stood there, just staring at each other – Hinata in her staggering confusion and Sasuke with his stony gaze – till one of them finally decided to let go of the breath they had been holding. Hinata wasn't sure who did it first, for either way, Sasuke took it as a sign to turn away. And it might have been her imagination, or the dust whispering as it passed her ear, but she thought she heard him say "good" under his breath.

His hand reached for the books and pages that had fallen the floor, knocked from the neat pile she had made. Slowly, he began putting them back straight. Hinata watched for a moment, just examining how his back arched and neck bent when he reached for one that was just a little further than his arm's width. And in trying to grab that one book he wanted, others fell out of place. She sighed and kneeled down to help him.

She picked up the book that was just too far, and placed it directly into his hands. He looked up at her, eyes almost expectant. She bit the insides of her lips, looking away so she could pick up the other bounds of forgotten authors and historians from the dirtied, dusted floor.

There was still the cloud swirling around them, but at least they had finally figured out that rebuilding was easier when it wasn't done alone.

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_I said I would update, didn't I? _

_I can't promise when the next update is going to be, but it will be as soon as I can! Just now, life is a little hectic. _

_All reviews are much appreciated. _


	18. 4-4: Afternoon Afterglows

_**FOR: **__Sasuhina month 2015 - Beloved Siblings..._

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**4.4: Afternoon Afterglows**

The sound that came from Hinata's throat sounded like a mix of a squeaking door and a baby's laugh.

"What was that?"

Sasuke was coming from the back room with a bucket and mop. Hinata stood in the corner of the one of the shelves, back hunched, and hand covering over her nose and mouth.

"I sneezed," she squeaked. "Someone must be talking about me."

"It wasn't me," Sasuke said.

"I-I know it wasn't."

With midterms underway and the chilly nights creeping earlier and earlier into the shortening winter days, Kurenai was letting Hinata of earlier than usual, suspecting that she would be heading home to study and prepare. But Hinata had looked twice over her shoulder when entering into the antique book store just across the street.

The book shelves had been completely dusted and the books put back, reorganized into their places. It had taken two days, but Hinata was genuinely surprised at how much neater the store seemed when the merchandise didn't look as though it hadn't been touched in a hundred years. With colors of the setting sun, Hinata could see as the gold characters on some of the spines glowed, like the discovery of a magical spell book.

But the floors were still accumulating dirt and dust, the shine of the wood hardly seen under layers of grim and years of wear. The banisters also looked as though they may have been a mahogany brown at some point after their instalment, but now just held an ashy gray veneer. The books had been laboring but Hinata could only imagine the work that would need to be put into restoring the rest of the store's interior.

Sasuke hardly seemed to mind though. Handing her a rag from the bucket, it felt wet in her hands, and taking one out for himself, he pointed to one side of the store.

"I'll start over there," he said.

She nodded, showing she understood. He set the bucket on the counter and walked past her to the area he had said he would begin cleaning. Hinata watched him for a moment as he got down on his knees.

"Where should I start?" She asked.

He looked up at her and shrugged.

"Anywhere, I guess." His words to her were always indefinite. Sometimes she wondered if he was testing her.

. Hinata stared around the store, unsure of where to begin. She supposed she could start on Sasuke's other side, but she feared that perhaps they would get in each other's way, bump shoulders, and be so close without anything much to say. So she opted for somewhere she could work from a distance: the floor behind the counter.

"I'll start back here," Hinata told him.

He didn't say anything and just kept working, scrubbing the floor. Hinata assumed he just didn't hear her and made her way behind the counter. She gave a disconcerting frown.

The counter was old and most likely built at the same time the building was, the base bolted to the ground. At least, she believed it was. The corners had fuzzed, black mold growing and crawling up the sides, a cobweb colony accumulating against the wall. Patches of dust and lint littered every inch of the floor, only parting in the small space the stool would wobble back and forth. Hinata was hesitant if she even wanted to concern herself with touching the area at all.

Sighing a heavy breath, she rolled up the sleeves of her sweater and got down on her knees, careful to hold down her long skirt as she knelt forwards. She was hesitant to touch anything, she didn't want to touch anything. Not when it looked so… disgusting.

But she didn't want to bother Sasuke to do it.

Taking a deep breath, she swallowed her digression and started plowing the wet rag through a sleet of charcoal colored dust bunnies. It only took one swipe for the cloth to become almost fully encased in grayish black, practically unusable. Hinata found herself making multiple trips to the wash bucket while Sasuke had yet to even make one. It was impossible to see how he could put up with such a pigsty but she held her tongue and bowed her head as she continued to make her way through the dirty tundra.

She heard the squeak of Sasuke's shoes against the dampened floor when he stood to wash his cloth. By that point, she could at least see how to ground was beginning to resemble the color of wood, though she was dreading touching the mold that slowly creeped its way up the side of the counter.

While the area under the pegs of the stool remained the only place untouched by the dust, underneath was just as unclean as the rest. Moving the chair out of the way, Hinata noticed a slip of something on the ground. It was covered in ashy white and so had most likely been sitting on the floor for a while; it was crumpled and couldn't have been much bigger than the palm of her hand. She just assumed it was trash.

But picking it up and ready to throw it into the wastebasket beside the counter, there was some small semblance of dull, faded colors under the layer of dust. She blew on it and saw at a cloud of white went flying into the air.

Hinata was surprised to find a pale face with slightly rounded cheeks, black hair that wisped dangerously close to the eyes, eyes that stared straight through the lens of the camera, gleaming. A crooked smile stretched wide despite the powered white street and reddened raw nose.

"Is this you?"

Sasuke had just finished wringing out the excess water from his towel and was about to return to his side of the floor. He looked over to Hinata, and she couldn't quite catch the expression on his face before his reached over and snatched the photo away. His nails scratching her in the process.

"Where'd you get that?" His voice was sharp.

Hinata, uncertain of why he seemed angered by her accidental finding, took a step back and did not answer. Looking down at the photo, then back at Hinata, Sasuke sighed and slipped it into his back pocket. His fingers tapped nervously against his belt as bit his bottom lip and turned his head away. Hinata swallowed.

"I-I'm sorry…"

She didn't know exactly what she was sorry about, but it had always been her default phrase, when in doubt simply apologize. Sasuke heaved a sigh and brought up a hand to wipe his face, forehead to chin, in one long, heavy drop. He closed his eyes and took a breath.

"No, you shouldn't be sorry," He finally said.

Hinata remained silent. Sasuke shifted his weight against the dampened floor.

"A friend sent it to me," he told her. "My friend, Naruto. He's studying abroad, so he sent me this, because he won't be coming back for winter holidays."

Hinata continued to stare in silence. The flicker of the incandescent light above them and the sound of the broken clock ticking in the background, she was still trying to discern his sudden knee jerk reaction when she had found it.

"I-Is it special…?" she asked, voice still hesitant to speak louder than a forced whisper.

Sasuke's shoulders seemed to tense, just slightly.

"No." His answer fell short of restrained, but his expression scrunched and his mind seemed to back track because he quickly amended his statement. "I just didn't want you to see it."

Sasuke gripped onto the towel tighter, and pressed his lips into a thin line. Turning, he walked back to the area he had been cleaning before, not saying more as he got back down on his hands and knees. Hinata took that as a cue for her to return to her side as well, pushing her skirt out of the way so as to not get it dirty.

But as her arms worked and hands pressed against the hard floor, Hinata found herself trying to analyze the situation. The look on Sasuke's face, when he had noticed exactly what she had held in her hands, she couldn't make out embarrassment or bashfulness. Granted – she could make out little of his emotions in that split second he had grabbed the photo from her. She had definitely seen surprise, but a gut instinct told her that there also been panic.

And that was what confused her.

"It was taken after you left Tokyo?" Hinata wasn't sure if she spoke the words out loud or not. "The photo."

There was the hum of the lights.

"It was either my first or second year of high school," Sasuke responded through the droning. "I was going to get my hair cut before the New Year. The coach said I needed one."

"Coach?"

"Naruto and I joined the baseball team," Sasuke explained. "The helmet would flatten my bangs and blur my vision."

Hinata imagined the long, thin strands that swept along his forehead.

"It really looked like you needed it," she jested.

"Yeah…"

As they continued worked, they fell back into silence. Their hands continued scrubbing. Even when the insistent ticking of the broken clock clicked like a foreboding metronome, Hinata ignored the passing time and did not focus on the setting sun that cast shadows and hues of purple and gold through the windows of the antique book store. The days were getting shorter and Hinata had almost finished cleaning her area of the store.

She stopped just short of the cob webs in the corner, and lifted her back, stretching it out from being hunched for so long. Outside the window, she wondered when the streets would be filled with powdered white, just like the scene from that photograph.

"I'm glad," Hinata suddenly said out loud. "I'm glad you could smile like that, even after everything."

Sasuke paused for a moment and looked in Hinata's direction. He could only see the top of her head peeking from behind the counter, her far off look and nostalgic smile hidden from him.

"Yeah…"

* * *

She sat in the corner of the café. A pile of straws in one corner and a row of sugar containers in the other. Neatly sorting them exactly the way Kurenai had instructed. It was tedious work, but she was grateful for a tedious job.

Throughout her shift, she had looked up every so often to stare across the street. She watched the cars pass by and watched the people as they walked from one end of the window to the other. Some looked in while others didn't. But no one entered. The lights didn't turn on.

Hinata was distracted and she knew it. Kurenai seemed to notice it as well and made a comment ever few moments when a customer would call for more coffee or the check, Hinata would scramble. The bell rang and the café was empty.

"Are you alright, Hinata-chan?" Kurenai came and set down a glass of water. "Worried about your midterms?"

Startled, Hinata fumbled with the sugar packets she had been holding.

"N-no…" she stuttered. "I just…"

"You just?"

Hinata paused. Looking around at the empty space, Kurenai took a seat. Since being discharged, she had only gotten stronger and more active. The recovery was so quick that Hinata had marveled at the woman's strength. Watching her as she moved around the kitchen or swept the front of the café when she'd arrive always made Hinata smile. But it also made her feel a tinge of sadness, a tinge of jealousy.

Kurenai picked up a few of her own sugar packets.

"Your attention seems to be far off these past several days," she commented, "I'm not so strict that I would chastise you for a little daydreaming, but being absent minded so often will just become a burden once the temperature drops."

It was already getting colder. The more the days went by, the more Hinata realized she hadn't brought nearly enough sweaters. It had been the first time in a long time that she hand felt the chill of an oncoming winter.

"I'm sorry," Hinata apologized.

Kurenai eyed Hinata, but went back to reorganizing the sugar.

"My busiest time of year is usually around now," Kurenai explained. "But if you're constantly looking out the window for who knows what reason…"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not looking for an apology Hinata-chan," Kurenai chastised. "But if there is something on your mind, maybe talking about it will make you feel better. Help you focus better."

Hinata sat in silence, gathering the sugar into one side of the table. Kurenai made comment on how her fingers seemed to fidget, like they were trying desperately to keep from breaking away.

"Is it about Kiba-kun?"

"What?" Hinata's eyes snapped in the older woman's direction.

Kurenai shrugged.

"Are you two okay?"

"We're fine," Hinata assured her employer.

"I haven't seen him with you for the past couple of days." There was an odd way that Kurenai spoke that made Hinata pause in her routine for a second.

"Kiba-kun has been working some extra shifts," Hinata said, "He'll walk me to the station, but he has to go the other way so we take different trains."

"I see," Kurenai said, sounding skeptical, but did not push the subject further.

Hinata looked up and through her bangs to watch Kurenai sort through sugar packets with her, not a hiccup in her movements. It was the work of someone who had been doing something like this for years.

"Why don't you higher other workers?" Hinata found herself asking.

Kurenai looked up for a second, surprised by the odd question, before going back to her work. She shrugged.

"I never really thought I needed it." Was the simple reply. "Honestly, when Asuma and I fist invested in this little café, it had been the two of us working here.

"Sarutobi-san worked in the café with you?"

"Yup. Though he really wasn't much help." Kurenai sighed. "I love him, but my husband should really stay in finance."

Hinata tried to picture the stalky man, cigarette smoke burning from his lips, waiting on tables and putting the pastries in the oven while a pitcher of coffee brewed on the other side of the kitchen. It was actually much easier to imagine, though Hinata wasn't quite sure if it were a probable scenario in reality.

"How did you and Sarutobi-san meet?"

"Actually, we met around the same age as you and Kiba-kun," she responded. "We were both attending Sapporo University at the time."

"I thought you said you attended culinary school in Osaka?" Hinata's head was cocked in confusion.

Kurenai gave a slight laugh.

"I did." She set aside the last sugar packet. Situated neatly to the side, they were like lines of soldiers in an army. "But that was only after I had met Asuma. When I first met him I was studying cognitive science."

"Cognitive science?" Hinata repeated. "That's…"

Kurenai shrugged and grabbed a few of the sorted packets.

"Different compared to what I do now?" Kurenai finished for her. "Well, at the time I didn't really have a plan and both of my parents were researchers who studied the brain. It only seemed like what everyone expected of me."

Kurenai set the packets on a few tables. Hinata, noticing, stood to help do the same. She grabbed a couple of assorted packets and began placing them on the different tables.

"But being with Asuma," Kurenai smiled at the memory. "Being with Asuma helped me."

"He convinced you to start a café?"

"He helped me realize that I didn't want to be in the same field as my parents." Kurenai corrected. The straws back on the table were beginning to roll off the edge, and she moved quickly to catch them. "At least, not as a profession. I still like to read about the latest discoveries about the human mind in the science journals every month. I'm subscribed to a few."

She took the straws from the table and walked to the straw dispenser to refill it.

"You know, Hinata-chan," Kurenai turned to face the girl, standing at one end of the café with both hands full of assorted sugar packets, "you're in a time in your life where you might question some of the decisions you make. And that's perfectly fine."

When Kurenai turned back to the straw dispenser and checked to be sure the lid had been replaced properly, Hinata continued to stare from the other end of the café, waiting to see if there was a follow up to the older woman's statement. But when Kurenai disappeared into the back to check on the pastries she had left in the oven, Hinata knew that those were the only words of advice she was going to receive.

* * *

"So, you need to put this piece here."

Hinata pointed to a wooden bar and motioned in a general area of where "put this piece here" was supposed to mean.

Sometime between finishing cleaning the floor and beginning to wax the dull wood that had lost its shine, Sasuke's employer had apparently seen a appreciated the work to clean up. As a token of new renovations, a conspicuous packaged had been left at the front door. Upon signing, and then later opening the box with a "face this way" sign on the side, apparently it was requested that Sasuke put together a display shelf that was to be put against one of the large windows of the store.

Sasuke, having no experience with putting together furniture, had somehow made a simple shelf into something that resembled a battered chair when Hinata had come by for her routine visit.

"Are you sure it's supposed to be this one?" Sasuke was skeptical, if not a little sour, that Hinata was proving to be more skilled and have more knowledge in building a multilayered table.

"That's what the picture says, see?" Hinata pointed to an illustration in the instruction manual, something that Sasuke had neglected to open in the first place.

Sasuke had the corners of his lips dropping in a frown, not that it was much different than his usual blasé look. But despite his bruised pride, he held back another distrusting remark and did exactly what Hinata instructed. When the leg fit perfectly into the socket, instead a look of silent joy, Hinata only gave a sigh of exasperation.

"You should have listened to me in the first place," she said.

Sasuke didn't respond, only grumbling something incoherent under his breath. Looking over his shoulder, he – grudgingly – scanned the next page of the construction manual.

"It's the same thing for these other legs," Hinata pointed out, lifting up similar pegs from the scatter of wooden objects around them.

Sasuke grumbled again, but did not protest when she handed one of the pieces to him. He bent over the half assembled display shelf and screwed in the other three legs. Hinata watched, intermittently looking down at the manual again, just to be sure he was doing it correctly.

"Aren't you hot?"

"What?"

Hinata looked up from inspecting another one of the pieces scattered about the floor. Sasuke still had his focus on the legs he was putting together.

"You're still wearing your scarf," he said.

Hinata hadn't noticed. From the moment she'd gotten off work and come to the antique book store, she hadn't realized that the red scarf she'd been wearing was still wrapped loosely around her neck. The weather outside was approaching freezing as winter approached, all they were waiting for was the snow. While most everything in the old store was dusting or collecting cobwebs, the ventilation system in the building still remained relatively intact. The heater had been running for a while.

"You can keep it on if you're still cold," he told her, "I was just wondering."

"I'm fine w-with or without it," Hinata stuttered. She moved to unwrap herself.

"Hmm…"

He finished screwing in the four legs to the base of the shelf and looked over to see the next steps in the building process. Hinata, already having looked it over, handed him the next piece to assemble.

"Was it a present, or something?" Sasuke asked.

"What was a present?"

"The scarf."

He looked over to the manual once again.

"You're supposed to put it on the other side of that part," Hinata pointed to the opposite end of the shelf. Sasuke nodded and flipped it over, seeing the groves that the piece was supposed to fit into. Hinata felt her dry lips as she watched. "I-it… it wasn't a gift. I bought it myself."

Sasuke paused, mid-motion and looked to her with a raised brow.

"Really?"

Hinata frowned.

"Why is that so surprising?"

Sasuke went back to assembling the shelf.

"No reason," he said. "You just don't seem like the kind of person to buy a bright red scarf."

"I can buy a red scarf if I want to," Hinata said, her voice sounding more defensive than she had wanted.

"I never said you couldn't." Sasuke had finished installing the next piece and leaned an arm against the flat surface. He stared at her with his stony eyes but she didn't flinch away.

There was a ring at the door, something that Hinata had not gotten used to. There were times when they would be cleaning, heads down and engrossed in the repetitive movements of their hands wiping back and forth. But as the little antique book store began to clear up, with organized shelves and newly polished hardwood flooring, the number of customers that Sasuke would see increased.

The man that had entered was middle-aged, working class. His suit straightened in the right places and hair combed back in the newest style. His half smile courteous and inviting, Hinata hardly noticed how the room was suddenly filled with the scent of a cheap women's perfume.

"I placed an order the other day to reserve an anthology of poetry," the man said.

"Basho?" Sasuke said, raising himself off of the floor.

"Yes," the man replied.

Sasuke nodded and excused himself into the back.

The little green door behind the desk closed with a click, leaving Hinata alone with the stranger. The man, broad back in stature, relaxed as his eyes roamed the little book store. Seeing Hinata on the floor, the two stiffened at their brief contact of eyes, startled at their acknowledgement of each other's presence. With a small ticking of the clock, the man nodded to her. She nodded back.

"Thank you for waiting, sir."

Sasuke came out from the back with a bag and receipt in hand.

"Thank you." The man took the bag and reached into his pocket, pulling out a worn, leather wallet.

"Sir, you've already pre-paid."

Sasuke looked surprised as the man smiled.

"I know," he said, "but this is for you, boy."

"I haven't done anything, I can't accept this, sir."

"Take it," the man insisted. "Use it to buy your girl a nice Christmas present."

Hinata looked surprised as Sasuke shoved the money back into the man's hand, pushing the customer away. Suddenly like the bills were laced in poison, they dropped to the ground in acidic drops. The business man, looking more taken aback than offended, stepped away.

"So it's not like that? My apologies." The man wiped his face with a meaty palm. "But I really insist, keep what I gave."

And without another word, he left the shop.

Sasuke stepped back and looked down at the money lying on the floor. With a heavy breath and sigh, he bent to pick up the bills.

"Sorry for causing misunderstanding for you," Sasuke apologized, "I know you're-…"

"I bought it just before coming to Hokkaido."

Sasuke looked up from the floor, his eyes wandering to Hinata who was staring uncaringly out of the store front window. When she turned to him, he was surprised to find a blank calm in her eyes, one he was not used to seeing in her.

"I bought the scarf because I knew that Hokkaido would be colder," she continued, "I was just trying to prepare myself."

She fiddled with the newly built shelf, the four legs wobbling. But despite the mediocre craftsmanship, the books that she began to place on top did not fall.

"No one is ever really prepared for Hokkaido winters, I learned." Sasuke commented, picking up the last of the bills. "But it's a nice scarf. Red really suits you."

* * *

"Sorry you had to cancel your holiday plans with Kiba-kun, I know it would have been your first time spending the winter holidays as a couple."

Kurenai came into the back holding the rag she had just used to wipe down all the tables. Hinata stood with her sleeves up and hands deep in a sea of suds.

"It's all right Kurenai-san," Hinata assured with a smile. "Kiba-kun and I talked it over beforehand and he was really understanding."

"I still feel bad," Kurenai sighed, placing the rag into the sink. "It's only common for couples to spend at least Christmas Eve together."

Hinata placed the last dish onto the drying rack and lifted the plug to let the sink drain. A whirlpool of water disappearing into the hole below.

"It couldn't be helped." She shrugged. "Even Kiba-kun had to work a full shift then, we did get to text each other during that time though so it was okay."

"Ah, so much trouble for young couples now a days."

The front door rang. Hinata lifted her head, confused.

"I was sure I had locked the front door, already…" Hinata's brows furrowed. Drying her hands with a clean towel, she stepped out from the back with her hands close to the walls. "I'm sorry but we're closed…"

Pink and yellows stood at the door in their down jackets and winter boots, noses red from the chill of winter air.

"Ah, we did find the right one!" Ino chirped. "I was beginning to question the directions we were given."

"Ino-chan, Temari-can, Sakura-chan?" Hinata squeaked. "I thought you all went home for the winter holidays?"

"Hello Hinata-chan!" Sakura unwrapped the scarf from her neck and entered further into the café. "I'm glad we got here just in time."

"Just in time?" Hinata questioned. "Just in time for what?"

"Oh, you must all be Hinata's friends." Kurenai said coming out from the back. "It's good to finally meet you. I'm the café owner."

"Kurenai-san," Hinata piped.

"Same, pleasure to meet you." Temari extended a hand that Kurenai gratefully took and shook.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino!" Ino approached in all her prowess; like the socialite she was.

"Yuuhi Kurenai," Kurenai greeted.

"I'm Haruno Sakura, nice to meet you Yuuhi-san," Sakura took the hand outstretched to her with a more flaccid wrist.

"Please, just call me Kurenai-san at least," Kurenai insisted.

"Then feel free to call me Sakura-chan," Sakura giggled, her pixy like features moving into a smile.

Hinata watched on as her roommates and employer continued to exchange pleasantries among the stacked tables and chairs and dimmed fluorescent lights. With the sun having set over the skyline, their chatter filled the room with bolstering liveliness.

"Why…" Hinata tried to speak up. Her voice only barely cutting in through the conversations. "Why are you all here?"

Ino turned to Hinata, head cocked but smile present.

"Why you ask?"

The front bell rang again.

Hinata turned as her eyes widened and fingers came to gently brush her own lips.

"How'd you…?" She stammered.

"Surprised?"

Sarutobi Asuma and Inuzuka Kiba – with lips pulled into a wide, toothy grin – stood at the front of the café, hands stretched out holding a white cream cake, candles lit and sparkling.

"Happy Birthday, Hinata-chan."

* * *

"Seriously, Happy Birthday, Hinata," Sakura said just as the last train out of Sapporo pulled up. Her cherry pink hair flying everywhere.

The roots were beginning to show her natural black and Hinata wondered if she would dye it back or let it grow. Kiba and Hinata had walked the other three girls to the train station just after Kurenai and her husband completely closed up shop. The other two had left for other parts of the city, leaving only Sakura to wait in the cold empty station; hardly anyone was leaving Sapporo so late at night.

"Thank you, you and Kiba-kun really did surprise me," Hinata said, tucking her own hair behind an ear. "I had completely forgotten today was my birthday."

"Honestly," Sakura chided.

The doors of the train opened, sucking a cold gust of wind in.

"You should get on, it would be dangerous if you got home too late."

Sakura nodded and stepped onto the train.

"You should come visit sometimes," she said. "My kaa-san gets worried since you hardly come back to visit. I know there isn't as much to do in Eniwa, but at least think about it."

"I will," Hinata smiled.

The two stared at each other awkwardly, Sakura's hand gripping onto the bar above. Hinata fidgeted with the fabric of her skirt as the wind from an empty station blew. When the doors had finally closed, Sakura had looked like she had wanted to say something, but the train had already blurred and left the station by the time she had realized.

"Did you really forget your own birthday?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah," Hinata lied.

"You didn't hear anything from your family?"

The weather outside of the station was frigid, their breaths leaving their lips in clouds of white. The street lamps had turned on and lined the sidewalks with hues of orange and golds against a dark winter night. The emptiness stretched as far as the two could see, being alone days after Christmas Eve.

"Neji-nii-san and Hanabi both texted me today," she told him, "but birthdays were never a large celebration in our household. Just another day."

"That's actually pretty sad…"

Kiba made a face of discontent. Hinata looked up at him and gave him a small laugh, patting his shoulders with her hand.

"It's okay, it's pretty normal for us," she tried to assure him. "But seeing you and Kurenai-san and Sarutobi-san and the other girls… it really did make me happy."

Kiba looked to her, how her eyes were distant, like she was envisioning something that wasn't truly there. Her lips curved into a soft smile. When he stepped in front of her, her reaction had been slow with her gaze heavy as they made their way up his person, only giving him a complacent expression when he leaned in to catch her lips.

Hinata blinked.

"Why did you do that?" She asked. Her face was heating up.

Kiba straightened himself and scratched the back of his head, a pout playing on his expression.

"Why not? I'm your boyfriend…" he mumbled under his breath.

"Even if you tell me like that…" Hinata gently placed her fingertips onto her bottom lip, grazing over the chapped skin and chilled flesh.

Kiba cleared his throat.

"How do you feel about London?"

"London? I've never been." Hinata paused. "Why do you ask?"

The night was growing colder and the clouds looming over, covering the stars and moon – not that one could see them in the brightness of Sapporo city lights. A stray cat ran into the corner of the shadows as they came up to the steps of Hinata's boarding house. Silent and dark; alone and remote.

"I applied for a program there," Kiba said, "something that helps you partially train with Scotland Yard."

Hinata stopped. Kiba turned to face her, head down and hand encircling the back of his neck.

"I… I know it's really sudden and I meant to tell you before but the deadline was coming up and I-…"

"I'm happy for you."

Hinata interrupted in the smallest of voices. Her lips pulled into a smile and eyes looking right at him. Kiba turned his head away, hiding his face behind the sleeve of his winter jacket.

"I mean," He cleared his throat, "nothing is guaranteed. I need to get in first. And then there's the whole thing about costs of living overseas… I'm really going to have to bust my ass."

"I think it will all work out," Hinata told him, smiling. "I believe in you."

The way that her eyes seemed to gleam, even under the dull street lamp, Kiba's mouth went dry as she reached out to tightly grasp onto his hand in assurance. She looked down at their fingers intertwined, biting her bottom lip.

"Can I kiss you, again?" He asked.

This time, she showed shock. Eyes wide and cheeks blushing. There was a down turn of his lips and seriousness in his eyes, one that he rarely showed. Hesitantly, she nodded.

"Okay…"

Her voice was barely a whisper, so faint that he could hardly hear it. But it was enough. And as he leaned in to steal her lips for the second time that night, the first drops of winter fell from the sky.

* * *

**. . .**

* * *

_I apologize for the long wait and... less than exemplary chapter. There are most likely many grammar and spelling mistakes but do please be gentle with me, I'll fix them as soon as I can. But I do hope that you were able to enjoy this and I hope to update more! _

_Please continue to support and anticipate the next chapter!_


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